AWS Eliminates Lambda Cold Starts With New SnapStart Feature
AWS introduces SnapStart for Lambda, a new feature that reduces cold start latency by 90 percent using encrypted memory snapshots. The tool is currently available exclusively for Java functions running on the Corretto runtime.
AWS unveils SnapStart, a significant update to its Lambda serverless platform that effectively eliminates the notorious cold start problem. By taking encrypted snapshots of a function's memory and disk state after its initial run, AWS allows subsequent invocations to boot directly from the cache instead of going through the standard initialization process.
This new approach delivers a 90 percent improvement in cold start latency, building upon the existing speed of AWS Firecracker microVMs. The feature is immediately available to all AWS users, though it currently supports only Java functions that utilize the Corretto runtime and requires manual activation for existing Lambda functions.
Once a developer enables SnapStart, the system caches the encrypted snapshot and reuses it for future requests, automatically deleting the cache after 14 days of inactivity. AWS executives believe this dramatic reduction in latency encourages more businesses to migrate spiky, intermittent workloads to the Lambda serverless environment.