What is cloud native? – The modern way to develop applications.

In the recent past cloud-native has been a topic of discussion in the world of software development. For some developers they think it just a hype and it will lose traction and disappear after sometime, while for others they consider it the future of software development. Whatever the varying opinions might be, currently cloud-native is a huge trend in the software industry and it is already beginning to change the way people think about developing, deploying and operating software products. But for some of us we are still unclear what exactly cloud-native is all about, and today we are about to explain to you what is all about and why it just might end up being the future of software development.

Cloud native is considered as an approach to building, developing as well as running applications which exploit the advantages of a cloud computing delivery model. This isn’t about where applications are created and deployed but about how we go about this. Available for both private and public clouds this delivery model is not exclusive to one type of environment therefore this advantage plays into the hands of many, because today public clouds affect the way we think about infrastructure investment for nearly every industry. One of the many reasons that cloud-native is fast gaining popularity is the multiple features that it has an offer such as timeless computing power that is on demand as well as modern application and data services for developers which is considered to be an added advantage. As a result of this when companies do decide to build and develop their applications in cloud native platforms, they are able to bring fresh ideas to the market much faster and also respond to the customer demands soon. And this is by far the biggest advantage that makes this platform so popular amongst the modern day generation.

A cloud native app is designed and built specifically to run in the elastic and distributed nature that is required by most modern Cloud Computing Platforms. They are loosely coupled meaning that the code in these applications is not hardwired to any of the infrastructure components of the application so that it can be scared up or down as the need arises, while they are by embracing the concept of immutable infrastructure. Therefore if you build and deploy your application on a cloud service platform it means you are using agile and scalable components giving you a higher delivery rate. Cloud native applications automate and integrate four concepts which are: Continuous delivery, micro services, Devops and Containers. Continue reading below to understand what these are and how it can help you.

Continuous delivery:

This is an automated process which is enabled by product development practices and is all about transporting small batches of your software to production all the time in a constant manner. Although the concept of continuous delivery is dull, it is also a very reliable process so that businesses and organisations can deliver to the customer demands very frequently with less risk involved, enabling them to get feedback from the end users in a much faster manner.

Micro services:

It is a collective architectural approach to developing an application. Because it makes use of a number of small services which work together in an integrated manner to implement business capabilities and communicate with each other via HTTP API’s and messaging even though each of these services run their own process. Changing up processes such as upgrades, deployment, scaling and restarting can be done to each of the services independently without hindering the process of the other services usually through an automated system, so that it enables frequent updates without having any impact to the end users.

DevOps:

Is an integration between IT operations and software developers with the goal being the constant delivery of high quality software which will help solve customer challenges. This concept helps to create an environment and culture where the building, developing, testing and releasing of software all happens in a rapid get consistent manner, with a higher frequency allowing a faster rate of delivery.

Containers:

Compared to standard virtual (VMs), containers give you both speed and efficiency. Containers make use of operating system-level virtualisation and therefore a single operating system is dynamically divided among a single or multiple isolated containers, each of which has its own unique writable file system as well as resource quota. The ability of a container to have a high packing density make it the ideal compute vehicle for the deployment of individual micro services.

With all of the above mentioned concepts working together in the development of a cloud native application you might still be wondering why it matters. The fact that these applications can be easily architected and deployed by small dedicated teams into a platform where they can easily be scaled up and down and the hardware can be decoupled provide organisations of all sizes with greater resilience, portability and agility across cloud environments.

Great agility is something which allows businesses to quickly build, as well as deliver applications in response to customer demands and helps to build enduring success along with helping to cut down IT costs in this age of software. Therefore it means that cloud native applications will give you the necessary kick towards business growth.

Greater resilience within your application means, that your team of architects and developers design systems which can stay online regardless of problems that may arise anywhere else in the environment of the application, ensuring that your services do not suffer.

With the ability to deploy applications into any cloud be it public or private, without the need for any modifications, your team will have the ability to run applications and services in that particular place where it makes the most business sense without having to be locked into one cloud, giving your business the ability to gain greater flexibility. With all of the above features packed into one neat package you can, as an enterprise automate your IT operations and transform yourself into a focused team where your operations have been aligned with the overall business goals and priorities helping to drive the business forward. Automation of processes help to reduce the risk of human error with regard to mundane and routine tasks, which can be the difference between success and failure.

So it is now in your hands to decide whether you want to move forward with a cloud native application or a traditional enterprise application for the future of your business. Because only you know what works best for you and your enterprise and what doesn’t. Whether this concept is just a hype or if it’s going to be the future of software development only time will tell.