Cloud-Native Explained

Cloud-native refers to a way of designing, building, and running applications specifically for cloud environments. Unlike traditional applications built for on-premises servers, cloud-native applications are architected to leverage the on-demand scalability, elasticity, and other benefits of cloud computing.

At its core, cloud-native development involves breaking down applications into smaller, independent services called microservices. These microservices communicate with each other via APIs, making them easier to develop, test, deploy, and update. This modularity also enhances fault tolerance – if one service malfunctions, the others can continue functioning.

Cloud-native applications also rely heavily on automation. Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) tools describe the application's infrastructure in a configuration file, allowing for automated provisioning and deployment. This streamlines the development process and reduces the risk of errors.

Popular cloud-native technologies include containers, which package an application and its dependencies for consistent execution across different environments. Container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes manage the deployment, scaling, and networking of containerised applications.

Cloud-Native vs Cloud-Hosted

It's important to distinguish cloud-native from simply cloud-hosted applications. Cloud-hosting refers to renting virtual machines or servers from a cloud provider to run existing applications.  While it offers some benefits like cost savings and easier management compared to physical servers, it doesn't fundamentally change the application itself.

Cloud-native applications, on the other hand, are built from the ground up to exploit the full potential of the cloud. They are designed for elasticity, meaning they can easily scale up or down based on demand. They also embrace automation and containerisation, leading to faster development cycles and more efficient resource utilisation.

By embracing cloud-native principles, organisations can achieve faster development cycles, increased agility, and improved application resilience. This translates to quicker time-to-market for new features, better responsiveness to changing user needs, and a competitive edge in today's dynamic business landscape.