Cloud Native
Cloud native refers to a way of building and running applications that are designed to fully leverage the benefits of cloud computing. Cloud applications are typically developed using microservices architecture, which involves breaking a large, monolithic application into smaller, independent services that can be developed, tested, and deployed independently. These microservices can be easily scaled up or down as needed, and they can be deployed to and run on any cloud platform or on-premises infrastructure.
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These type applications are also designed to be resilient, meaning that they can continue to function even if some of their components fail or become unavailable. They are often built using open-source technologies and are designed to be easily deployable, scalable, and manageable in cloud environments.
The goal of cloud native design is to allow organisations to build and deploy applications more quickly and efficiently, taking advantage of the benefits of cloud computing such as on-demand scalability, reduced infrastructure costs, and flexible resource allocation.
Why is Cloud Native Important?
Cloud native technologies and practices are important for a number of reasons:
Speed and agility
Cloud native approaches allow organisations to develop, test, and deploy applications more quickly and efficiently, helping them to stay ahead of the competition.
Cost savings
By taking advantage of the on-demand scalability and pay-as-you-go pricing model of cloud computing, organisations can reduce their infrastructure costs and only pay for the resources they use.
Improved reliability and resilience
Cloud native applications are designed to be resilient and able to continue functioning even if some of their components fail or become unavailable. This helps to improve the reliability and uptime of applications.
Increased flexibility
Cloud native approaches allow organisations to easily deploy and run applications on any cloud platform or on-premises infrastructure, giving them greater flexibility in how they operate their IT systems.
Improved scalability
Cloud native applications can be easily scaled up or down as needed, making it easier for organisations to meet changing demand and ensure that their applications are always able to handle the workload.
Overall, cloud technologies and practices are important for organisations that want to build and run applications more effectively in the cloud, taking advantage of the benefits of cloud computing such as speed, flexibility, and cost savings.
Who in an Organisation is Responsible for Cloud Native?
The responsibility for implementing and managing cloud native technologies and practices within an organisation may vary depending on the size and structure of the organisation, as well as its specific needs and goals.
In some cases, the responsibility for cloud native initiatives may fall to a specific team or department, such as a cloud engineering team or a DevOps team. In other cases, responsibility for cloud practices may be shared among multiple teams or individuals, such as developers, IT operations staff, and IT leadership.
Ultimately, the responsibility for cloud initiatives will depend on the specific needs and goals of the organisation, as well as the existing roles and responsibilities of the individuals and teams involved. It may be helpful for an organisation to establish clear roles and responsibilities for cloud initiatives to ensure that they are implemented and managed effectively.
What are the Challenges of Cloud Native?
There are a number of challenges that organisations may face when implementing and managing cloud technologies and practices:
Complexity
Cloud native architectures and practices can be complex, especially for organisations that are new to cloud computing. This complexity can make it difficult for organisations to understand how to implement and manage cloud technologies and practices effectively.
Integration with legacy systems
Many organisations have existing systems and applications that may not be compatible with cloud native approaches. Integrating these legacy systems with cloud technologies can be a challenge.
Security
Ensuring the security of cloud native applications can be difficult, as they often involve multiple microservices that may be developed and managed by different teams. This can make it difficult to secure the entire application effectively.
Resource management
Managing the resources needed to run cloud native applications, including compute, storage, and networking resources, can be complex and time-consuming.
Cultural change
Adopting cloud native technologies and practices often requires a shift in how an organisation thinks about and manages its IT systems. This can be a challenge, especially for organisations that are used to more traditional approaches to IT management.
Overall, implementing and managing cloud native technologies and practices can be complex and challenging, but with careful planning and the right tools and resources, organisations can overcome these challenges and realise the benefits of cloud approaches.
How Can Cloud Native Benefit Digital Transformation?
There are several ways in which cloud native can benefit digital transformation:
- Scalability: Cloud native applications are designed to scale horizontally, which means they can easily handle increases in demand by adding more instances of the application. This allows organisations to quickly respond to changing business needs and meet the needs of their customers.
- Flexibility: Cloud native applications are designed to be flexible and adaptable, which allows organisations to quickly respond to changing business needs and incorporate new technologies.
- Cost-effectiveness: Cloud native applications can take advantage of the pay-as-you-go model of cloud computing, which means that organisations only pay for the resources they consume. This can help reduce the upfront cost of infrastructure and IT resources.
- Speed: Cloud native applications can be developed and deployed much more quickly than traditional applications, which can help organisations move faster and be more agile in their digital transformation efforts.
- Reliability: Cloud native applications are designed to be highly available and resilient, which means they can handle failures and recover quickly. This can help organisations ensure that their applications are always available to their customers.
Overall, cloud native can benefit digital transformation by enabling organisations to build scalable, flexible, cost-effective, and reliable applications that can help them stay competitive in today’s digital world.
What Technologies Benefit Cloud Native?
There are a number of technologies that can be used to support cloud native approaches and practices. Some of the key technologies that are often used in cloud environments include:
Containers
Containers allow applications to be packaged with all of the necessary dependencies and run consistently on any infrastructure. This makes it easier to deploy and manage applications in cloud environments.
Kubernetes
Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration system that helps to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerised applications. It is widely used in cloud native environments to manage and orchestrate containers.
Microservices
Microservices are small, independent services that can be developed, tested, and deployed independently. They are a key component of cloud architectures and are designed to be scalable and resilient.
DevOps tools
DevOps is a set of practices that combines software development and IT operations, and it is often used in cloud environments to improve the speed and efficiency of software development and deployment. There are a wide range of DevOps tools that can be used to support these practices, including tools for continuous integration, continuous delivery, and configuration management.
Serverless computing
Serverless computing is a cloud computing model in which the cloud provider dynamically allocates resources to run applications based on demand. This can be a useful approach in cloud native environments, as it allows organisations to scale their applications up or down as needed without having to manage the underlying infrastructure.
Overall, there are many technologies that can be used to support cloud approaches and practices. These technologies can help organisations to build and deploy applications more quickly and efficiently, and to take advantage of the benefits of cloud computing.
What is the Future of Cloud Native?
Cloud native technologies and practices are expected to continue to evolve and play a central role in the future of cloud computing. Here are a few trends that are likely to shape the future of cloud:
Continued growth in the use of containers
Containers are expected to continue to be a key technology in cloud native environments, as they allow organisations to package and deploy applications consistently across different infrastructure environments.
Increased adoption of Kubernetes
Kubernetes is expected to continue to be a popular choice for managing and orchestrating containers in cloud native environments.
Wider adoption of microservices
The use of microservices is expected to continue to grow as organisations seek to build more flexible and scalable applications that can be easily deployed and managed in cloud environments.
Greater focus on security
As cloud native environments become more widespread, there is likely to be an increased focus on ensuring the security of these environments. This may involve the use of new technologies and practices such as secure containerisation and continuous security testing.
Greater integration with edge computing
As the use of edge computing grows, there is likely to be an increased focus on integrating these type of technologies and practices with edge computing environments to enable the development and deployment of applications that can operate at the edge of the network.
Overall, the future of cloud native is likely to involve the continued evolution and adoption of technologies and practices that enable organisations to build and deploy applications more efficiently and effectively in cloud environments.
