Understanding the cloud-native world
If you have been in the tech industry for a while, you are probably aware of the buzzword known as cloud-native. The more people you ask what it means, chances are, the more varied answers you will receive, and what’s bizarre is that all of them would be accurate in their own way. So, why the different answers? Well, the answer is simple – cloud-native technology and the stack is ever evolving, and each engineer, based on the use case of their cloud-native technology, would consider that in of itself to be cloud-native. However, based on the definition set out by the CNCF and my practical experience of using these technologies for the past many years, instead of defining a broader term of cloud-native computing, I would rather define what it means for an application to be cloud-native:
Let’s delve into understanding what that means in the industry. Cloud-native is an application design style that enables engineers to deploy any software in the cloud as each service. These services are optimized for automation using DevOps practices such as Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) and Infrastructure as Code (IaC). This approach allows for faster development, testing, and deployment of applications in the cloud, making it easier for organizations to scale and adapt to changing business needs. Additionally, the use of microservices and containerization in cloud-native architecture allows for greater flexibility and resiliency in the event of service failures. Overall, cloud-native architecture is designed to take full advantage of the cloud’s capabilities and provide a more efficient and effective way to build and deploy applications.
Why consider using cloud-native architecture?
I have always found the best way to approach any problem is to start with why. As for our current endeavor, it is prudent to think about why we would even care about thinking of a different approach to building our applications when we can get away with the current style of development. While you wouldn’t be completely wrong, there are some pretty strong arguments to be made otherwise. While we can address the need for this architecture, further for now, we can try contemplating the benefits of development. A few of them are listed as follows:
- Scalability: One of the primary benefits of cloud-native architecture is the ability to easily scale applications horizontally and vertically, to meet changing demands. This is particularly important for applications that experience fluctuating levels of traffic as it allows for resources to be allocated in real time, without the need for manual intervention.
- Flexibility: Cloud-native architecture also provides greater flexibility in terms of where and how applications are deployed. Applications can be deployed across multiple cloud providers or on-premises, depending on the needs of the organization, including but not limited to the organization’s compliance policies, business continuity, disaster recovery playbooks, and more.
- Cost savings: Cloud-native architecture can lead to cost savings as well. By taking advantage of the pay-as-you-go pricing model offered by cloud providers, organizations only pay for the resources they use, rather than having to invest in expensive infrastructure upfront. Additionally, the ability to scale resources up and down can help reduce the overall cost of running applications.
- Improved security: Cloud-native architecture also offers improved security for applications. Cloud providers typically offer a range of security features, such as encryption (such as AWS KMS, which is used for encryption key management and cryptographic signing) and multi-factor authentication, which can be applied to applications. Additionally, the use of containerization and microservices can help isolate and secure individual components of an application.
- Faster deployment: Cloud-native architecture allows for faster deployment of applications. Containerization, for example, allows you to package applications and dependencies together, which can then be easily deployed to a cloud environment. Frameworks such as GitOps and other IaC solutions help significantly reduce the time and effort required to deploy new applications or updates.
- Improved resilience: Cloud-native architecture can also help improve the resilience of applications. By using techniques such as load balancing and automatic failover, applications can be designed to continue running even in the event of a failure. This helps ensure that applications remain available to users, even in the event of disruption.
- Better performance: Cloud-native architecture can lead to better performance for applications. By using cloud providers’ global networks, applications can be deployed closer to users, reducing latency and improving the overall user experience. Additionally, the use of containerization and microservices can help improve the performance of the individual components of an application.
- Improved collaboration: Cloud-native architecture can also improve collaboration among developers. By using cloud-based development tools and platforms, developers can work together more easily and efficiently, regardless of their location. Additionally, the use of containerization and microservices can help promote collaboration among teams by breaking down applications into smaller, more manageable components.
- Better monitoring: Cloud-native architecture can also enable better monitoring of applications. Cloud providers typically offer a range of monitoring tools, such as real-time metrics and log analysis, that can be used to track the performance and usage of applications. This can help organizations quickly identify and resolve any issues that may arise.
- Better business outcomes: All the aforementioned benefits can lead to better business outcomes. Cloud-native architecture can help organizations deploy new applications, improve the performance and availability of existing applications, and reduce the overall cost of running applications quickly and easily. This can help organizations stay competitive, improve customer satisfaction, and achieve their business goals.
Essentially, there is no silver bullet when it comes to architecting cloud-native applications – the method of architecture heavily depends on the primal stage of defining factors of the application use cases, such as the following:
- Scalability requirements: How much traffic and usage is the application expected to handle and how quickly does it need to scale to meet changing demands?
- Performance needs: What are the performance requirements of the application and how do they impact the architecture?
- Security considerations: What level of security is required for the application and how does it impact the architecture?
- Compliance requirements: Are there any specific compliance regulations that the application must adhere to and how do they impact the architecture?
- Deployment considerations: How and where will the application be deployed? Will it be deployed across multiple cloud providers, availability zones, or on-premises?
- Resilience and fault-tolerance: How should the architecture be designed to handle service failures and ensure high availability?
- Operational requirements: How should the architecture be designed to facilitate monitoring, logging, tracing, and troubleshooting of the application in production so that compliance policies such as service-level indicators (SLIs), service-level objectives (SLOs), and error budgets can be applied to the telemetry data that’s been collected?
- Cost and budget: What is the budget for the application and how does it impact the architecture?
- Future scalability and extensibility: How should the architecture be designed to allow for future scalability and extensibility of the application?
- Integration with existing systems: How should the architecture be designed to integrate with existing systems and data sources?
While we will discuss a few of those factors in detail in the subsequent chapters, it is important to address the problems and identify the pain points that warrant the use of a cloud-native approach and a design architecture to enable more efficient, scalable systems.
Cloud models
Before we sail into understanding the cloud-native model, it is prudent to understand the existing cloud models for deployment. In this book, to understand the different cloud-native deployment models, I will segregate the cloud offering into two categories.
Cloud deployment model
This deployment model explains strategies of cloud infrastructure deployment from the perspective of the cloud architecture used within the organization and the type of cloud offering that the organization chooses for deployment.
Public cloud
The public cloud is a cloud deployment model in which resources and services are made available to the public over the internet. This includes a wide range of services, such as computing power, storage, and software applications. Public cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), own and operate the infrastructure and make it available to customers over the internet. Public cloud providers offer a range of services, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS), which can be used on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Advantages of the public cloud include flexibility and scalability, as well as cost savings, as customers only pay for the resources they use and do not need to invest in and maintain their infrastructure. Public cloud providers also handle the maintenance and updates/upgrades of the infrastructure, which can free up IT staff to focus on other tasks. Additionally, public clouds are known for providing a global reach, with multiple locations and availability zones, which can help with disaster recovery and business continuity.
While the public cloud offers many advantages, there are also a few potential disadvantages to consider:
- Security concerns: Public cloud providers are responsible for securing the infrastructure, but customers are responsible for securing their data and applications. This can create security gaps, especially if customers do not have the necessary expertise or resources to properly secure their data and applications.
- Limited control and customization: Public cloud providers offer a wide range of services and features, but customers may not have the same level of control and customization as they would with their own on-premises infrastructure.
- Vendor lock-in: Public cloud providers may use proprietary technologies, which can make it difficult and costly for customers to switch to a different provider if they are not satisfied with the service or if their needs change. The operational cost may also rise significantly if the cloud vendor decides to increase the cost of their services, which is difficult to counter in this scenario.
- Dependence on internet connectivity: Public cloud services are provided over the internet, which means that customers must have a reliable internet connection to access their data and applications. This can be an issue in areas with limited or unreliable internet connectivity.
- Compliance: Public cloud providers may not be able to meet the compliance and regulatory requirements of certain industries, such as healthcare and finance, which may prohibit the use of public cloud services.
- Data sovereignty: Some organizations may have data sovereignty requirements that prohibit them from storing their data outside of their own country, and therefore may not be able to use public cloud services.
It’s important to carefully evaluate your organization’s specific needs and constraints, and weigh them against the benefits of public cloud, before deciding to use public cloud services.
Private cloud
A private cloud is a cloud deployment model in which resources and services are made available only to a specific organization or group of users and are typically operated on-premises or within a dedicated data center. Private clouds are often built using the same technologies as public clouds, such as virtualization, but they are not shared with other organizations. This allows for greater control and customization, as well as higher levels of security and compliance.
In a private cloud, an organization can have full control of the infrastructure and can configure and manage it according to its specific needs and requirements. This allows organizations to have a high degree of customization, which can be important for certain applications or workloads.
The advantages of a private cloud include the following:
- Greater control and customization: An organization has full control over the infrastructure and can configure and manage it to meet its specific needs
- Improved security: Since the infrastructure is not shared with other organizations, it can be more secure and better protected against external threats
- Compliance: Private clouds can be configured to meet the compliance and regulatory requirements of specific industries, such as healthcare and finance
- Data sovereignty: Organizations that have data sovereignty requirements can ensure that their data is stored within their own country
Here are some of the disadvantages of a private cloud:
- Higher cost: Building and maintaining a private cloud can be more expensive than using a public cloud as an organization has to invest in and maintain its infrastructure
- Limited scalability: A private cloud may not be able to scale as easily as a public cloud, which can be an issue if an organization’s needs change
- Limited expertise: An organization may not have the same level of expertise and resources as a public cloud provider, which can make it more difficult to properly maintain and update the infrastructure
It’s important to carefully evaluate the specific needs and constraints of an organization before deciding to use private cloud services.
Hybrid cloud
A hybrid cloud is a combination of public and private clouds, where sensitive data and workloads are kept on-premises or in a private cloud, while less sensitive data and workloads are in a public cloud. This approach allows organizations to take advantage of the benefits of both public and private clouds while minimizing the risks and costs associated with each.
With hybrid cloud, organizations can use public cloud services, such as IaaS and SaaS, to handle non-sensitive workloads, such as web-facing applications and testing environments. At the same time, they can keep sensitive data and workloads, such as financial data or customer data, on-premises or in a private cloud, where they have more control and security.
Here are some of the advantages of a hybrid cloud:
- Flexibility: Organizations can use the best cloud services for each workload, which can help improve cost-efficiency and performance
- Improved security: Organizations can keep sensitive data and workloads on-premises or in a private cloud, where they have more control and security
- Compliance: Organizations can use public cloud services to handle non-sensitive workloads while keeping sensitive data and workloads on-premises or in a private cloud to meet compliance and regulatory requirements
- Data sovereignty: Organizations can store sensitive data on-premises or in a private cloud to meet data sovereignty requirements
Disadvantages of a hybrid cloud include the following:
- Complexity: Managing a hybrid cloud environment can be more complex than managing a public or private cloud, as organizations need to integrate and manage multiple cloud services
- Limited scalability: A hybrid cloud may not be able to scale as easily as a public cloud, which can be an issue if an organization’s needs change
- Limited expertise: An organization may not have the same level of expertise and resources as a public cloud provider, which can make it more difficult to properly maintain and update the infrastructure
- Hybrid cloud latency: If an application in one environment is communicating with a service in another cloud environment, there’s a high chance for a bottleneck to be created due to the higher latency of one of the services, leading to increasing the overall latency of the applications
It’s important to note that a hybrid cloud environment requires a good level of coordination and communication between the different parts of the organization, as well as with the different cloud providers, to ensure that the different services and data are properly integrated and secured.
Multi-cloud
Multi-cloud is a deployment model in which an organization uses multiple cloud services from different providers, rather than relying on a single provider. By using multiple cloud services, organizations can avoid vendor lock-in, improve resilience, and take advantage of the best features and pricing from different providers.
For instance, an organization might use AWS for its computing needs, Microsoft Azure for its storage needs, and GCP for its big data analytics needs. Each of these providers offers different services and features that are better suited to certain workloads and use cases, and by using multiple providers, an organization can select the best provider for each workload.
Let’s look at some of the advantages of the multi-cloud model:
- Avoid vendor lock-in: By using multiple cloud services, organizations can avoid becoming too dependent on a single provider, which can be a problem if that provider raises prices or experiences service disruptions
- Improved resilience: By using multiple cloud services, organizations can improve their resilience to service disruptions or outages as they can fail over to a different provider if one provider experiences an outage
- Best features and pricing: By using multiple cloud services, organizations can take advantage of the best features and pricing from different providers, which can help improve cost-efficiency and performance
- Flexibility: Multi-cloud deployment allows organizations to pick and choose the services that best fit their needs, rather than being limited to the services offered by a single provider
The disadvantages of the multi-cloud model include the following:
- Complexity: Managing multiple cloud services from different providers can be more complex than managing a single provider as organizations need to integrate and manage multiple cloud services.
- Limited scalability: A multi-cloud environment may not be able to scale as easily as a single-cloud environment, which can be an issue if an organization’s needs change.
- Limited expertise: An organization may not have the same level of expertise and resources as a public cloud provider, which can make it more difficult to properly maintain and update the infrastructure.
- Higher costs: Managing multiple cloud services from different providers can be more expensive than using a single provider as organizations need to pay for services and resources from multiple providers. Also, the organization would have to hire multiple engineers that had expertise across all cloud vendors.
It’s important for organizations to carefully evaluate their specific needs and constraints, and weigh them against the benefits of multi-cloud, before deciding to use multi-cloud services.
Community cloud
A community cloud is a type of private cloud that is shared by a group of organizations that has similar requirements and concerns. This type of cloud is typically owned, operated, and managed by a third-party provider, and is used by a specific community, such as a group of businesses in a particular industry or a group of government agencies.
Community cloud is a way for organizations to share the costs and benefits of a private cloud infrastructure while maintaining control over their data and applications. For example, a group of healthcare providers may set up a community cloud to share electronic medical records and other healthcare-related data and applications.
The advantages of a community cloud include the following:
- Cost savings: Organizations can share the costs of building and maintaining a private cloud infrastructure, which can help reduce costs
- Specialized resources and expertise: Community clouds are typically managed by third-party providers that have specialized resources and expertise, which can help improve performance and security
- Compliance: Community clouds can be configured to meet the compliance and regulatory requirements of specific industries, such as healthcare and finance
- Data sovereignty: Organizations that have data sovereignty requirements can ensure that their data is stored within their own country
Let’s look at some of the disadvantages of a community cloud:
- Limited control and customization: Organizations may not have the same level of control and customization as they would with their own on-premises infrastructure
- Security concerns: Organizations are responsible for securing their data and applications, but they may not have the necessary expertise or resources to properly secure their data and applications
- Limited scalability: A community cloud may not be able to scale as easily as a public cloud, which can be an issue if an organization’s needs change
- Limited expertise: An organization may not have the same level of expertise and resources as a public cloud provider, which can make it more difficult to properly maintain and update the infrastructure
It’s important for organizations to carefully evaluate their specific needs and constraints, and weigh them against the benefits of community cloud, before deciding to use community cloud services. Additionally, it’s important for organizations using a community cloud to establish clear governance and service-level agreements with other members of the community to ensure smooth operation and prevent conflicts.
Important note
Mostly within organizations in the industry, you would observe a multi-cloud architecture. A part of that reason is that each cloud vendor delivers a particular service in a more efficient way that fits the use case of the application. For those reasons, it is very important to avoid vendor lock-in. This is only feasible if the application is developed in a cloud-native way.
Cloud computing service categories
Cloud computing service categories refer to different levels of abstraction and control over the underlying infrastructure, and they provide different types of services and capabilities. These can be seen in the following diagram:
Figure 1.1 – Cloud service model
Let’s take a closer look.
IaaS
IaaS is a cloud computing service category that provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. IaaS providers offer a range of services, including servers, storage, and networking, which can be rented on demand, rather than you having to build and maintain the infrastructure in-house. IaaS providers typically use virtualization technology to create a pool of resources that can be used by multiple customers.
IaaS providers typically offer a range of services, including the following:
- Virtual machines (VMs): Customers can rent VMs with specific configurations of CPU, memory, and storage. This allows them to run their operating systems and applications on VMs.
- Storage: IaaS providers offer various storage options, such as block storage, object storage, and file storage, that customers can use to store their data.
- Networking: IaaS providers offer virtual networks that customers can use to connect their VMs and storage to the internet, as well as to other VMs and services.
The advantages of using IaaS include the following:
- Cost savings: Organizations can rent computing resources on demand, rather than building and maintaining their own infrastructure. This can help reduce capital and operational expenses.
- Scalability: Organizations can easily scale their computing resources up or down as needed, which can help improve cost-efficiency and performance.
- Flexibility: Organizations can choose from a range of VM configurations and storage options, which can help improve performance and security.
- Improved disaster recovery: Organizations can use IaaS providers to create backups and replicas of their VMs and storage in different locations, which can help improve disaster recovery and business continuity.
Here are the disadvantages of using IaaS:
- Limited control: Organizations may not have the same level of control and customization as they would with their own on-premises infrastructure
- Security concerns: Organizations are responsible for securing their VMs and storage, but they may not have the necessary expertise or resources to properly secure their data and applications
PaaS
PaaS is a category of cloud computing services that provides a platform for developers to build, test, and deploy applications without the complexity of managing the underlying infrastructure. PaaS providers typically offer a web server, database, and other tools needed to run an application, such as programming languages, frameworks, and libraries.
PaaS providers typically offer a range of services, such as the following:
- Development tools and environments, such as integrated development environments (IDEs), version control systems, and debugging tools.
- Deployment and scaling tools, such as automatic load balancing and scaling, and easy rollback and roll-forward of application versions.
- Database services, such as SQL and NoSQL databases, and data storage services.
- Security and compliance features, such as encryption, authentication, and access controls.
- Monitoring and analytics tools, such as logging, performance monitoring, and error reporting.
- Examples of popular PaaS providers include Heroku, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, and Google App Engine. These providers offer a variety of services and tools to help developers quickly and easily build, test, and deploy their applications, without the need to manage the underlying infrastructure. Additionally, PaaS providers often offer usage-based pricing models, making them cost-effective for small and medium-sized businesses.
Let’s look at some of the advantages of using PaaS:
- Faster time to market: Developers can quickly build, test, and deploy applications without the need to manage the underlying infrastructure, which can help reduce the time to market for new applications.
- Scalability: PaaS providers often offer automatic scaling, which allows applications to scale up or down as needed, based on usage or demand
- Lower costs: PaaS providers often offer pay-as-you-go pricing models, which can help reduce costs for small and medium-sized businesses
- Reduced complexity: PaaS providers often offer pre-configured development environments and tools, which can help reduce the complexity of application development and deployment
- Improved collaboration: PaaS providers often offer collaboration tools, such as version control systems, which can help improve collaboration among developers
Here are some of the disadvantages of using PaaS:
- Limited control: Developers may not have the same level of control and customization as they would with their own infrastructure or with an IaaS provider
- Vendor lock-in: Developers may become reliant on the PaaS provider’s tools and services, which can make it difficult to switch providers in the future
- Compatibility issues: Applications developed on one PaaS provider may not be compatible with another provider, which can limit flexibility and portability
- Security concerns: Developers are responsible for securing their applications and data, but they may not have the necessary expertise or resources to properly secure their applications and data
SaaS
SaaS is a software delivery model in which a software application is hosted by a third-party provider and made available to customers over the internet. SaaS providers manage and maintain the infrastructure, security, and scalability of the software, while customers access the software through a web browser or other remote means.
SaaS applications are typically subscription-based, with customers paying a monthly or annual fee for access. They can be used for a wide range of purposes, including customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, and human resources management, among others.
SaaS applications are often accessed through a web browser but can also be accessed through mobile apps. They can be used by businesses of all sizes and in a variety of industries, from small start-ups to large enterprise companies. A few examples of applications with SaaS offerings are Jira, Office 365, and Stripe.
The advantages of using SaaS include the following:
- Easy access: SaaS applications can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making it convenient for users to access applications from any location or device.
- Scalability: SaaS providers often offer automatic scaling, which allows applications to scale up or down as needed, based on usage or demand.
- Lower costs: SaaS providers often offer pay-as-you-go pricing models, which can help reduce costs for small and medium-sized businesses. Additionally, SaaS providers are responsible for maintaining the underlying infrastructure and software, which can help reduce IT costs for organizations.
- Faster implementation: SaaS applications can be quickly deployed, often within hours or days, without the need for hardware or software installation.
- Improved collaboration: SaaS applications often include collaboration tools, such as document sharing and project management tools, which can help improve collaboration among team members.
The disadvantages of using SaaS include the following:
- Limited control: Users may not have the same level of control and customization as they would with on-premises software
- Security concerns: SaaS providers are responsible for securing the underlying infrastructure and software, but users are responsible for securing their data and applications
- Dependence on internet connectivity: SaaS applications require a reliable internet connection, and downtime or slow internet speeds can impact productivity and user satisfaction
- Data ownership: Users may have limited control over their data, and there may be limitations on exporting or transferring data to other systems
- Vendor lock-in: Users may become reliant on the SaaS provider’s applications and services, which can make it difficult to switch providers in the future
Overall, SaaS is a popular and cost-effective way for businesses to access and use software applications without the need to manage and maintain the underlying infrastructure
