The Benefits and Risks of Cloud Native Applications

The cloud computing model is a way of providing IT services where resources are provided as a service over the Internet. This model allows companies to consume resources on demand, without having to invest in and manage their infrastructure. There are three main types of cloud services: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).

IaaS provides customers with access to virtual machines, storage, and networking. PaaS provides customers with access to an application platform that they can use to develop, deploy, and run applications. SaaS provides customers with access to software applications that they can use over the Internet.

The main advantage of XaaS (anything as a service) is its scalability : as companies only pay for the infrastructure they use, they can easily scale up or down according to their needs. This makes it ideal for companies with fluctuating or unpredictable demand and provides a backbone for lean, flexible companies that understand they need to adapt to meet market demands.

Thanks to the decentralized nature of cloud-based solutions, companies can enable employees to access and share data from anywhere, which can improve collaboration and communication. Gone are the days where developers had to share office space and where code was delivered via storage devices.

Today we're going to dive into what makes cloud native applications such an amazing solution and talk about some of the potential risks and setbacks we face when we take our businesses to the cloud.

What is a cloud native application?

A cloud-native application is one designed to run in the cloud. It makes use of the cloud computing model and is built using a microservices architecture. Cloud-native applications are designed to be scalable, fault-tolerant, and easy to deploy. They are often built using open source technologies and run on commodity hardware.

In simple terms, cloud-native applications are built using microservices, deployed in containers, and managed using orchestration tools.

• Microservices are a set of small, independent services that work together to form a larger application. Each microservice has a specific purpose and can be deployed independently. One microservice might be responsible for handling user authentication, while another might be responsible for managing product catalogs. Microservices are often built using different programming languages ​​and run on different platforms. They communicate with each other using APIs. On the negative side, microservices involve greater complexity and the need for more communication between services.
• Containers are a way of packaging software so that it can be deployed easily and consistently across different environments. For example, Docker is a popular container platform that allows developers to package their applications in containers and run them on any server that supports Docker.
• Orchestration tools are used to manage and automate the deployment of microservices. For example, Kubernetes is an orchestration tool that can be used to manage the deployment of microservices across a cluster of servers. Orchestration tools can also be used to manage the lifecycle of microservices, including starting and stopping services and scaling up or down services in response to changes in demand.

The key concept here is decentralization. Each application component runs independently and can be scaled up or down as needed without affecting the other components. This goes for both hardware and software.

Cloud-native applications are not limited to any server or operating system. Microservices can be deployed across multiple servers and designed to run on any operating system. The only exception is when a specific microservice requires certain features offered by specific hardware. An example would be an SSD or GPU for compute-intensive tasks.

In contrast, traditional applications are typically monolithic in design, meaning the entire application is built as a single unit . Additionally, they tend to be more difficult to update and maintain than cloud-native applications as they require manual updates and deployments.

Examples of cloud-native applications include:

• UBank created a cloud-native intelligent assistant application called RoboChat using the IBM DevOps toolset. The app is designed to help customers apply for home loans more easily and increase the loan completion rate by 15%.
• The American Airlines Dynamic Rebooking app is a customer-facing app that provides customers with detailed information about their routes and flights, as well as easier flight rebooking.
• Think Research created an application that would deliver the latest research and relevant medical information to doctors at the point of care using microservices-based APIs in the cloud. This allowed them to quickly implement the solution without having to make a large investment in local IT infrastructure.

How to build a cloud native application

There are several factors to consider when designing a cloud-native application, including how the application will be deployed, how it will scale, and how it will be monitored. Developers must also choose the right tools and technologies for their application, taking into account both the capabilities of the platform and the needs of its users.

Some general tips:

1. Use containers and microservices : Containers and microservices are essential components of cloud-native applications. By dividing your application into small, independent units, you can make it more scalable and easier to manage.
2. Automate everything : Automation is another important part of cloud native applications. By automating tasks like deployments and scaling, you can save time and money.
3. Use a declarative approach : In a declarative approach, you define what the desired state is and let the system take care of the details. This is opposed to an imperative approach, where you explicitly specify each step that needs to be taken. Declarative approaches are often more resilient and easier to maintain in the long term.
4. Be observability-driven : Cloud-native applications need to be designed for monitoring from the start. Make sure you have visibility into all aspects of your application so you can quickly identify and fix issues when they occur.
5. Deploy your applications: Use continuous delivery/deployment (CD/CD) pipelines so that new versions of your code can be automatically pushed to production servers with minimal effort required from you or your team.

Building the Application

After designing their app, developers can start building it using a variety of different techniques. They will use containers to package their code and make it easy to deploy to any cloud platform. They will also use microservices to divide their applications into smaller, more manageable parts. And finally, they can use serverless computing to run their code without needing to provision or manage servers.

Keep the following points in mind:

• Cloud-native applications are more likely to be built using Java or PHP, .Net, Python, Golang, Ruby, or JavaScript.
• The most popular IDEs to use are CodePen, JSFiddle, Microsoft Azure Notebooks, Observable, Replit, Codenvy, Google Cloud Shell, and Codeanywhere.
• Developers will plan the application as a collection of services. They will decouple data from processing and use microservices. And then they will use a service mesh to ensure that the microservices communicate with each other and can be used by other applications.
• Cloud-native service mesh tools include Consul, Istio, and Kuma.
• Examples of cloud-native networking tools include Chita Cílio, Contiv, and Flanela.

Choosing your cloud architecture

The traditional data center can no longer keep up with the speed of business, so a new approach is needed. The cloud has emerged as a viable solution for many organizations because it offers the agility and flexibility needed to quickly respond to changing business conditions.

However, not all clouds are created equal. Public clouds are often less secure and more expensive than private clouds, which is why many organizations are turning to hybrid clouds that offer the best of both worlds. A hybrid cloud is a mix of public and private clouds connected to form a single, unified platform. This allows organizations to leverage the agility and flexibility of the public cloud while maintaining control over their data and applications. Other situations to choose a hybrid cloud include:

• When you need to comply with regulations that require data to be stored on-premises
• When you have sensitive data that you don't want to trust with third parties
• When you want to take advantage of features that are only available on one type of cloud
• When you want to use a combination of on-premises and cloud resources for greater efficiency or cost savings

In contrast to purely private or public clouds, hybrid clouds are more complex and require more work to build and maintain. So it should come as no surprise that for smaller budgets or quick projects that require a cloud solution, it's better to opt for a private or public alternative.

Preparing for deployment

Before an application can be deployed, several tasks need to be completed, including file minification, image optimization, CSS preprocessing, JavaScript transpiration, running code through a linter, and running tests. Invalidating caches and creating/moving files may also be necessary.

Finally, the compiled code must be packaged for distribution. As the application is composed of microservices, each service can be contained in its container. Most likely, an application would be divided into l logical parts , and each part can go into its container. For example, the front end could be in one container and the back end of the application could be in another. This way, depending on the traffic the application is receiving, new instances can be started to deal with the increase in volume.

Just before deployment, the application is first created and then deployed to a test environment. A test environment is a replica of the production environment where the application is tested for errors and performance issues. If everything checks out, the application can be deployed to production.

The benefits of going cloud native

There are many benefits of cloud-native applications, including the following:

1. Greater agility: Cloud-native applications are designed to be deployed and updated more easily than traditional applications, so they can help organizations be more agile in responding to market changes or customer needs.
2. Improved scalability: Cloud-native applications can be scaled up or down more easily than traditional applications, so they can better handle spikes in demand without overloading resources or crashing.
3. Reduced costs: Because cloud-native applications are designed to be more efficient in using resources, they can help organizations save money on infrastructure and operational costs.
4. Increased security: Cloud-native applications can take advantage of security features offered by cloud providers, such as data encryption and user authentication.
5. Better performance: Cloud-native applications are designed to make use of the cloud's high-performance computing resources so that they can provide a better user experience than traditional applications.
6. Greater collaboration: Cloud-native applications can be accessed and used by team members from anywhere in the world, so they can help improve collaboration between employees.
7. Environmental benefits: Because cloud-native applications are designed to be more efficient in using resources, they can help reduce an organization's carbon footprint.
8. Access to new features: Cloud-native applications can take advantage of the latest cloud technologies and services, so they can offer users new features and functionality that traditional applications cannot.
9. Enhanced disaster recovery: Cloud-native applications can be quickly and easily deployed to a new location if an organization's primary data center is damaged or destroyed.
10. Greater flexibility: Cloud-native applications can be deployed across multiple cloud platforms, so organizations can choose the platform that best meets their needs.

The Risks of Going Cloud Native

The risks of going cloud native are many and varied and can be broadly grouped into the following areas:

1. Technical risks include the potential for data loss or corruption, service interruptions, and security breaches.
2. Organizational risks include the potential for disruptive changes to business processes.
3. Cultural risks involve conflicts between traditional and cloud-native organizations and the need for new skills and training.
4. Financial risks include the potential for increased costs, reduced margins and the need to reinvest in legacy systems.
5. Regulatory risks include the potential for new compliance requirements and the need to adapt to new regulations.

Technical risk can be divided into two large groups: those that fall within the service provider's jurisdiction and those that are due to customer error. In the examples cited, the responsibility for interruptions lies directly with the provider, while the security breach due to a password leak is attributed to the customer. Each service provider has slightly different approaches to determining liability, and you would do well to understand who takes care of what before purchasing their services.

As for organizational and cultural risks, sudden changes are disruptive and, when not handled carefully, can lead to frustration, malign compliance, and outright rejection. Going cloud native is a paradigm shift that's easier for people who are already used to microservices, DevOps, and cloud technology, but jarring for people who are stuck in monolithic architectures.

Consider two paths. On the one hand, you can always train your current team to learn more about microservices and cloud solutions, perhaps adding a few key figures to the team with experience in the areas to help others acclimatize. Promote workshops and offer incentives for people to take courses and obtain certifications.

On the other hand, for a new project or a startup with a small IT or engineering team, it may be better to create an entirely new team, looking for software developers who already know and understand the complexities of working with this type of architecture. There's a reason why cloud engineering has become such an in-demand skill.

As for financial risks, shouldn't cloud-native applications reduce costs? Yes, as long as you make the most of the flexibility that comes with microservices. As we mentioned above, you may need a GPU for processing power, but this may not be the case for all microservices in your architecture. Some parts of your product may function like a metaphorical potato and never scale, while others may constantly fluctuate depending on demand.

In other words, microservices are about more than writing small programs. You have to really embrace the idea of ​​a decoupled system, where each part does its own thing and workloads are distributed efficiently. Again, this is the kind of thing a cloud engineer is perfect for.

As for regulatory risks, having to comply with certain standards is a natural part of the technology industry. And while we believe that standards are necessary for safety and reliability, it is also true that they can be very restrictive when working with disruptive technology. Plan ahead and do your research and make sure the solution your team is envisioning complies with current industry standards and the legal system under which your product will operate.

Cloud native applications are the future

You'd have to be a very stoic person not to get excited about the implications of cloud-native applications. Having a technology that works almost like a living organism, changing and adapting to the context, is something extraordinary. And while there will always be room for monolithic architectures, larger products require more flexibility and adaptability in an ever-changing marketplace.

Cloud-native solutions can be the differentiator for your project, providing a more reliable system that can perfectly accommodate different levels of processing. Of course, this depends on preparation from the beginning and understanding the obstacles that come with this technology.