Our journey at Auth0 toward Serverless Extensibility

1. Moving beyond webhooks with
Serverless Extensibility
Glenn Block, Auth0 Extend (@gblock)

2. 1990s – 2000s: Extensibility was easier
when it was your servers
https://www.flickr.com/photos/darkseed/4193205
5

3. ➢ Each company had their own instance of the LOB software
➢ The software loaded up 3rd party add-ons and plugins (often in the same
process)
➢ System administrators installed the plugins
LOB Product Add-on
In-process / cross-process
invocation
Extensibility in your company server

5. 2006: Cloud and SaaS changed everything
(and brought new challenges)
https://www.azernews.az/media/pictures/data_center_150614.jpg

6. 2007: Webhooks revolutionized the web
"The idea here is to create new
infrastructure. New opportunities. I've
been thinking a lot about the
possibilities of a web hook enabled
web, and it makes me really excited."
Jeff Lindsey

7. ➢ The SaaS doesn't have to build the customizations
➢ The doesn't have to host them
➢ Code runs completely isolated and secure from the SaaS and from other
customers
➢ Customers can choose any language / stack to implement
➢ Relatively straightforward to implement*
SaaS
Webhook
Endpoint
Webhook invocation
Webhooks revolutionized Saas Extensibility
Continue
Asynchronously

10. Webhooks also brought pain….

11. To the customer
➢ The customer has to build it. A Webhook is
a service.
➢ The customer has to host it
➢ The customer has to run and monitor it
➢ The customer has to pay for it

12. But for SaaS extensibility,
the costs still inhibit their usage

13. 2014

18. Auth0 Rules

20. Serverless Extensibility, The next frontier

21. Serverless Extensibility
Serverless Extensibility
A SaaS product directly invokes a Serverless
platform to handle runtime execution of 3rd party
extensions

22. Serverless Extensibility
SaaS
Serverless
Provider
Webhook invocation
Synch or Asynchronous
In product
Code Editor
SaaS Product

23. Stamplay
Plexure
Twilio

24. https://auth0.com/extend

27. Thanks!
Glenn Block, Auth0 Extend (@gblock)
glenn.block@auth0.com

28. ➢ Serverless Extensibility: https://auth0.com/blog/why-is-serverless-
extensibility-better-than-webhooks
➢ Auth0 Extend:https://auth0.com/extend
➢ ZERO CRM:https://github.com/auth0/extend
➢ Twilio functions: https://www.twilio.com/functions
➢ Stamplay: https://codeblocks.stamplayapp.com
➢ Plexure: https://www.plexure.com
➢ Plexure: https://www.factoryfour.com
Where to learn more