In what scenario would you use Google Cloud Functions?

Google Cloud Functions is designed specifically for serverless event-driven computing. It allows developers to write and deploy small pieces of code that can be triggered by various events, such as HTTP requests or events originating from other Google Cloud services like Pub/Sub, Cloud Storage, or Firestore. This makes it particularly useful for responding to events in real-time without the need for managing infrastructure.

Using Google Cloud Functions in scenarios where you execute code in response to HTTP events, such as webhooks or API requests, is a ideal fit. The flexibility and scalability of Cloud Functions enable automatic scaling based on the number of requests, allowing developers to focus on writing code rather than worrying about the underlying infrastructure that supports it.

Other scenarios, such as deploying virtual machines or managing relational databases, involve different Google Cloud services suited for those tasks, such as Google Compute Engine for VM deployment and Cloud SQL for relational database management. Hosting static websites is best achieved using Google Cloud Storage, which serves static content efficiently. These other options reflect different cloud service needs that do not align with the purpose of Cloud Functions.