aws-lambda-php-integration

AWS Lambda PHP Integration

Patterns for deploying PHP and Symfony applications on AWS Lambda using the Bref framework.

Overview

Two approaches available:

• Bref Framework - Standard PHP on Lambda with Symfony support, built-in routing, cold start < 2s
• Raw PHP - Minimal overhead, maximum control, cold start < 500ms

Both support API Gateway integration with production-ready configurations.

When to Use

• Creating new Lambda functions in PHP
• Migrating existing Symfony applications to Lambda
• Optimizing cold start performance
• Configuring API Gateway or SQS/SNS event triggers
• Setting up deployment pipelines for PHP Lambda

Instructions

1. Choose Your Approach

Approach	Cold Start	Best For	Complexity
Bref	< 2s	Symfony apps, full-featured APIs	Medium
Raw PHP	< 500ms	Simple handlers, maximum control	Low

2. Project Structure

Symfony with Bref Structure

my-symfony-lambda/
├── composer.json
├── serverless.yml
├── public/
│   └── index.php         # Lambda entry point
├── src/
│   └── Kernel.php        # Symfony Kernel
├── config/
│   ├── bundles.php
│   ├── routes.yaml
│   └── services.yaml
└── templates/

Raw PHP Structure

my-lambda-function/
├── public/
│   └── index.php         # Handler entry point
├── composer.json
├── serverless.yml
└── src/
    └── Services/

3. Implementation

Symfony with Bref:

// public/index.php
use Bref\Symfony\Bref;
use App\Kernel;
use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;

require __DIR__.'/../vendor/autoload.php';

$kernel = new Kernel($_SERVER['APP_ENV'] ?? 'dev', $_SERVER['APP_DEBUG'] ?? true);
$kernel->boot();

$bref = new Bref($kernel);
return $bref->run($event, $context);

Raw PHP Handler:

// public/index.php
use function Bref\Lambda\main;

main(function ($event) {
    $path = $event['path'] ?? '/';
    $method = $event['httpMethod'] ?? 'GET';

    return [
        'statusCode' => 200,
        'body' => json_encode(['message' => 'Hello from PHP Lambda!'])
    ];
});