It is no secret that the rapid evolution of technology has given mankind more advanced solutions than we can count. Among these novel and handy solutions is cloud computing which, in turn, has given rise to the cloud-native approach. The concept of "cloud-native" has taken center stage with technology and software development. This approach offers varied benefits, from scalability and efficiency to rapid deployment and cost savings. However, like any other transformative technology shift, it comes with its set of pros and cons that require careful consideration.
With this blog, I’ll walk through the pros and cons of a cloud-native approach to help you make informed decisions for your organization's digital future.
What is the Cloud Native Approach?
It is a software development approach for creating apps and software that leverages cloud computing, along with modern software development practices. As you can then imagine, cloud-native is not a technology unto itself but simply a collection of practices and principles whose goal is to help developers and companies really glean the many, many benefits offered by cloud computing.
Now, let us also take a quick look at some of the cloud native benefits.
Top Cloud Native Benefits
- Cost-efficacy: Cloud-native solutions tend to be more cost-effective to develop and use as compared to conventional apps and software
- Scalability: Cloud-native solutions can be easily AND quickly scaled as required
To help you make an informed decision, allow us to tell you about the pros and cons of the cloud-native approach.
Cloud Native: Pros
- Reliability: Cloud native apps have proven to be substantially more reliable than conventional apps and that is because the former kind is designed to be highly fault tolerant. In fact, cloud-native solutions can continue to operate even if one or more of their components fail because they come equipped with self-healing capabilities. Plus, cloud service providers also usually offer top-notch tools and services for disaster recovery, such as data backup, replication, etc.
- Efficiency: Another reason why cloud-native solutions trump traditional apps is that cloud-native apps are also more efficient since they are typically deployed in containers. Oh, and cloud-native app development is also conducive to the use of DevOps practices, including automation of various tasks. This not only helps cut down manual errors but also speeds up development cycles along with overall efficiency. Such solutions are also cost-efficient since cloud solutions are generally offered with pay-as-you-go pricing models.
- Scalability: Cloud-native solutions can be effortlessly scaled up or down in no time. This can be chalked up to a few factors including features such as auto-scaling and the fact that such solutions are made up of independent services which can be quickly removed or added as and when the need arises.
Cloud Native: Cons
- Complexity: Cloud-native apps bring with them a whole lot of complexity, be it in terms of architecture, debugging, or even operational complexity. Case in point: architectural complexity; cloud-native apps usually use microservices and containers along with container orchestration tools. Now these technologies bring in flexibility and scalability, but, unfortunately, they also bring in complexity.
- API dependency: Because such solutions generally make use of third-party APIs, it can be quite difficult to make any updates or changes since it may mean making changes to the APIs.
- Vendor lock-in: Cloud-native solutions are generally built to be used on a pre-decided cloud provider and that means moving the apps to a different cloud provider could prove to be quite difficult as the apps may not be compatible with other cloud platforms.
It would also do you well to remember that it is important to consider the pros and cons of not only the cloud-native approach but also of the specific choices that your company may make in regard to the project.
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