In August 2020, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) reported that there were 6.5 million cloud-native developers in Q1 2020 — 1.8 million more than Q2 2019. While the growth is staggering, it isn't surprising given how much the cloud has benefitted enterprises' IT endeavours.
With the rise of microservices architecture and container-orchestration systems like Kubernetes, it's easier than ever to build and deploy distributed applications, which are highly resilient. Enterprises are realizing the same and adopting cloud-native models, which accelerates the rate of adoption — complementing the utmost agile DevOps methodologies.
Kimberly Mlitz from Statista writes that "a cloud-native approach to running applications exists in conjunction with users' expectations for rapid responsiveness, zero downtime, and innovative features." Indeed, the future of cloud-native app development looks promising.
This article expands on the core characteristics of cloud-native applications, outlines the differences between cloud-native and cloud-based approaches, and outlines the fundamentals of cloud-native application development.
What are Cloud-native Applications?
Cloud-native applications are native to the cloud. They often run using cloud-native enablers called containers and focus on cloud computing's underlying principle of continuous service delivery. They tend to have distributed software architectures and, therefore, base themselves on scalable infrastructures like microservices and serverless computing.
Considering the surge in continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) methodologies, cloud-native applications have become a go-to solution for enterprises looking to develop large software systems in a short time frame. The assurance of support from commercial enterprise cloud vendors serves to complement the development and adoption of such applications at a remarkable rate, and rightly so.
Why is Cloud-native App Development Important?
The post-COVID cloud market is witnessing a revolution characterized by a massive shift to cloud-related strategies. Back in September 2020, IBM reported that more than 60% of the surveyed organizations have adopted the cloud-based and/or cloud-native models.
This is due to numerous reasons:
Cloud-native apps are key to DevOps and DevSecOps success
DevOps and its enhancement DevSecOps have become the defining approach of fast and secure software development. Cloud-native apps foster the adoption of this approach by integrating the full range of technologies and systems, which are typically in silos, into a single configuration designed to interface with various distributed systems.
Cloud-native apps facilitate on-demand scaling and improvement
Almost 87% of executives and developers prefer using microservices for cost-effective and quality delivery. Cloud-native apps, as mentioned above, are also aligned with microservice architecture — precisely why they can be improved in real-time while avoiding downtime, over-engineering, unnecessary wastage, and disturbance to neighboring modules.
Also, since these apps are elastic, i.e., able to scale on-demand, they are suitable for needs where usage peaks and troughs. With cloud-native development, enterprises are able to optimize their existing capital and resources in a manner that enables them to scale with applications on demand.
Cloud-native apps help foster a great user experience
With the proliferation of cloud-native apps, enterprises can have complete control over their IT investments. The flexibility in terms of deploying and decommissioning software, as well as spending on other areas of IT, gives a level of freedom that is out of reach with legacy systems and applications.
Cloud-native apps prevent vendor lock-in
Because containers are often the core of cloud-native applications, they are built to leverage the full capacity of resources present in a cloud environment. This includes the support and underlying resources of abstractions such as orchestration systems like Kubernetes, multiple-node provisioning, resource management, and networking. This is particularly relevant for businesses that need to be available 24/7, highly scalable, and able to bear a high load.
Cloud-native apps leverage cloud capabilities in full measure
Because containers are often the core of cloud-native applications, they are built to leverage the full capacity of resources present in a cloud environment. This includes the support and underlying resources of abstractions such as orchestration systems like Kubernetes, multiple-node provisioning, resource management, and networking. This is particularly relevant for businesses that need to be available 24/7, highly scalable, and able to bear a high load.
Don't Confuse Cloud-native and Cloud-enabled Development
It's reasonable to assume that a cloud-native approach is synonymous with a cloud-enabled development, but that's not the case. Cloud-native applications are different in the following ways:
- Unlike traditional cloud-enabled applications, which are built and deployed on-premises, virtual machines, or dedicated hardware, cloud-native run on a distributed platform.
- Cloud-native applications, as opposed to cloud-enabled apps, can be deployed either in a single cloud provider or across multiple providers, depending on need.
- Cloud-native is highly cost-effective, agile, and scalable because they don't require additional hardware, operating-system administration, or network infrastructure.
H2 - Key Attributes of Cloud Native app development
The main aim of cloud-native apps is to use cloud resources efficiently, and that requires using a combination of deployment strategies for all components, including the microservices themselves. To create an effective development strategy, you need to consider these key attributes:
Lightweight containers as the backbone:
App-focused container-orchestration technologies, including Kubernetes, Red Hat OpenShift, Docker Swarm, Google Kubernetes Engine, etc., make it easier to run, manage, and scale distributed applications.
Language-agnostic development:
It is essential to build cloud-native apps using container technologies that are agnostic of the underlying programming language. This way, developers can use their preferred language to write code.
API-centric access:
It is equally important to develop cloud-native apps with API-centric access, which enables code reuse and integration while keeping the codebase modular.
Operational efficiency:
Cloud-native apps don't run on a single instance like traditional cloud applications. Instead, they are distributed across multiple instances. That way, these apps can be deployed faster and more efficiently, reducing their operational costs and improving app availability.
Automation of deployment and maintenance:
The deployment strategy for cloud-native apps is based on continuous testing and automatic deployment into production. This ensures that the application is continuously upgraded and maintained as per the business-oriented roadmap.
Conclusion
With time, the positive attributes of cloud-native app development are being increasingly appreciated. The DevOps strategy has been moving forward, and cloud-native applications are a part of it.
Today, enterprises are expected to be most agile to keep up with the ever-changing market demands and expectations. Therefore, they are increasingly turning to cloud-native apps on account of their flexibility, connectivity, and adaptability.
This has also led to a rise in interest and opportunities for cloud-native app developers who have acquired the skills required to build and run cloud-native apps.
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