Applications born for the cloud. The very translation of cloud native gives us a clue as to where this concept is heading. Indeed, the purpose of cloud native development is to create digital products with the power to take full advantage of the benefits offered by the cloud architecture.
The software resulting from cloud native development fully exploits the flexibility, scalability, resilience and management simplicity of the cloud model.
Benefits of cloud native development
The benefits of cloud native development are numerous.
For example, unrestricted scalability. Applications automatically adjust their capacity to demand levels to be always efficient. All this, without human intervention.
Another advantage is development times. These are significantly accelerated thanks to the use of agile models such as DevOps (development and operations). Improvements and new functionalities are implemented dynamically, without interruption to the business. An ideal quality for these fast-paced times.
Availability is another distinctive feature of cloud-native development. Applications are divided into microservices and containers. This means that when one component fails, the system as a whole can continue to function. As a consequence, the user experience is improved.
Last but not least, greater cost efficiency is achieved, due to both the acceleration of development times and the optimization of resources, since containers and microservices allow a more efficient use of infrastructure.
Current trends in cloud native development
Although they are an essential part of the concept, cloud native development has recently seen a trend towards the massive adoption of microservices and greater maturity in terms of orchestration. That is, the management and automation of the lifecycle of a containerized application in dynamic environments.
On the other hand, the integration of technologies such as AI and machine learning in these applications is growing.
End-to-end stages in cloud native development
The following are the stages in a cloud native development:
Architecture planning and design
This is the stage in which the application structure is defined and a microservices architecture is selected to ensure modularity and scalability. The technologies and tools to be used are also decided, security requirements are established and integration with other systems is planned. This is the key stage to ensure effective development.
Implementation and coding
The design is transformed into a functional application. Developers create the individual microservices, write code and use containers to package and deploy the services in a consistent manner. Release management tools are recommended to maintain consistency, ease collaboration and drive agility.
Testing and validation
Ensure that the application works as expected and meets requirements. Includes testing, integration, performance and security. Automated testing allows for quick detection and fixing of bugs.
Deployment and continuous monitoring
CI/CD (continuous integration/continuous delivery) pipelines are used to automate the deployment process and enable fast and frequent releases. Continuous monitoring helps identify and solve problems in real time to ensure application availability and performance. It also enables initial sizing tests to adjust resources according to actual demand. This approach ensures that the service can scale efficiently and optimize costs as a better understanding of usage and requirements is gained.
Maintenance and Upgrade
Continuous process involving the management of upgrades, security patches and functionality enhancements. DevOps is essential in this phase: it facilitates collaboration between development and operations teams so that changes can be implemented without disrupting the service.
Key tools and technologies
Next, we provide some details about the key tools and technologies for cloud native development.
Most commonly used cloud platforms
The main cloud platforms on the market offer services and tools that support cloud native development, deployment and management. Those are: Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure stand out.
Containers and Kubernetes
Containers allow applications and their dependencies to be packaged in an isolated and portable way. Kubernetes, as an orchestration hub, manages the deployment, scaling and operation of containers in clusters.
CI/CD services
CI/CD services enable the automation of continuous integration and delivery. They help development teams rapidly deploy code changes, improving efficiency and reducing time to market.
Conclusions
In a world where companies are traveling at high speed towards the cloud, cloud native development represents a transformation in the way applications are created.
The support of a technology partner like Nubiral is key for organizations to get end-to-end cloud native development support. Thus, they will achieve enormous benefits, thanks to the fact that their digital products will have been thought, designed and developed to get the maximum value from the cloud.
Does your organization need to take a step forward with cloud native development? Our team of experts is waiting for your call: Schedule your meeting!