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Cloud Native

Cloud Native is not simply moving servers to the cloud (Lift & Shift). It is an architectural approach in which applications are designed specifically to leverage the advantages of distributed cloud environments: elasticity, resilience, and fast iteration cycles.

At its core are containerisation (Docker), orchestration (Kubernetes), and the decomposition of applications into small, independently scalable services.

Anti-Patterns: Cloud Migration Without Value

  • Lift & Shift of legacy systems: Moving a rigid monolith 1:1 onto a virtual machine in the cloud. The result: higher costs without gaining any of the benefits of cloud flexibility.
  • Manual server maintenance: Managing cloud servers the same way as physical machines in a server room (applying patches, manual configuration), which prevents scaling.
  • Vendor lock-in through proprietary services: Using vendor-specific features that make switching providers or running multi-cloud setups impossible.

Cloud-Native Architecture

  1. Containerisation: Packaging code and all its dependencies into standardised containers for absolute portability.
  2. Kubernetes (K8s) Orchestration: Automated deployment, scaling, and management of the container fleet.
  3. Microservices & APIs: Decomposing the application into small units that communicate via network interfaces (see API-First).
  4. Stateless Design: Applications store no data locally, enabling instances to start, stop, and move quickly.
  5. Observability: End-to-end telemetry (logs, metrics, traces) to understand the state of the complex distributed system at any time.

The Focus: Business Resilience

Cloud-native systems repair themselves (Self-healing) and automatically adjust their capacity to actual demand — reducing costs and increasing availability.

FAQ

Why do we need Kubernetes? Isn't it too complex?

It is the standard layer for cloud infrastructure. It takes the work out of manually monitoring and scaling servers — and is the foundation for a modern, automated IT operation.

Is Cloud Native more expensive than traditional hosting?

Infrastructure costs may increase, but operational costs drop significantly through automation. You also gain enormous speed in shipping new features.

Reference Guide

  • CNCF (Cloud Native Computing Foundation): The steward of the cloud-native ecosystem. cncf.io
  • The 12-Factor App: The methodological foundation for modern SaaS applications. 12factor.net
  • Kubernetes Documentation: The reference for container orchestration. kubernetes.io

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