Cloud computing
Cloud computing is an internet-based computing model that provides shared computing resources and data to computers and other devices through a network "cloud." This model allows businesses and individuals to rent computing resources, storage space, and various application services over the internet instead of having to purchase and maintain expensive hardware. Cloud computing significantly reduces IT costs while also increasing flexibility and scalability.
The core concepts of cloud computing include the following aspects:
On-demand self-service
Users can apply for computing resources such as storage space and computing power at any time according to their needs, without the need for manual communication with service providers. This approach makes resource acquisition more convenient and efficient.
Wide network access
Cloud services are provided over the internet, allowing users to access these services from any device (such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.). This ubiquitous access method makes cloud computing widely applicable on a global scale.
Resource pooling
Cloud service providers centralize a large amount of computing resources (such as servers, storage devices, etc.) in a data center and use virtualization technology to divide these resources into multiple virtual units for users to utilize as needed. Users do not need to worry about the specific location or management details of the resources.
Quick elasticity
Cloud computing resources can be quickly scaled up or down according to changes in demand. For example, during peak traffic times, users can increase their computing resources, while during low traffic periods, resources can be automatically reduced to avoid waste.
Service Billing
Cloud computing adopts a pay-as-you-go billing model, allowing users to pay only for the resources they actually use. This on-demand billing method helps users reduce IT costs and avoids the high upfront investments and over-provisioning issues associated with traditional IT architectures.
IaaS
Provide virtualized computing resources, such as virtual machines, storage, networks, etc. Users can deploy operating systems and applications on these infrastructures.
PaaS (Platform as a Service)
Provide a development platform where users can develop, run, and manage applications. PaaS allows developers to focus on the application itself without having to worry about the underlying hardware and infrastructure.
SaaS
Software applications are provided directly through the internet, allowing users to access them without downloading or installing any software. Common SaaS services include Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and others.
Cloud Native
Cloud native is a product of the evolution of cloud computing technology and the deepening of its application to a certain stage, marking a new phase in the development of cloud computing. It emphasizes that applications should consider the characteristics of the cloud environment from the very beginning of their design, fully leveraging cloud capabilities to achieve rapid deployment, elastic scaling, and high availability of services. Cloud native is not just a collection of technologies, but also a new methodology for software development. The development and deployment of cloud native applications differ significantly from traditional monolithic applications and virtualization technologies.
Microservices architecture
Cloud-native applications typically adopt a microservices architecture. Microservices is an approach that breaks down applications into multiple small, independent services, each responsible for a specific function and communicating with other services via APIs. The advantages of this architecture are:
- High scalabilityEach service can be independently scaled to meet the load requirements of different modules.
- Fault toleranceIf a certain service fails, it will not affect the operation of other services, enhancing the system's robustness.
- Rapid development and deploymentDevelopers can independently develop, test, and deploy each microservice, accelerating the delivery speed.
Containerization
Another key characteristic of cloud-native isContainerizationContainers are a lightweight, portable virtualization technology that packages applications along with all their dependent components into an isolated runtime environment, ensuring that applications run consistently across any environment.
Compared to virtual machines, containers are lighter because they share the host operating system's kernel and do not require a separate operating system, which enables faster startup and uses fewer resources. Containerization allows developers to easily deploy and manage applications in different environments without worrying about differences in operating systems or hardware.
Automation and Dynamic Management
The management and operation of cloud-native applications generally rely on automation and dynamic management tools. The most common tools areKubernetesIt is a container orchestration platform that automates the deployment, scaling, load balancing, and recovery of containers. With Kubernetes, developers and operations personnel can manage large-scale distributed applications more efficiently.
In addition, cloud-native applications are often used in conjunction with.CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery)The process makes the development, testing, and deployment of applications more automated and faster. In this way, the development team can release new versions frequently and respond quickly to changes in business requirements.
Resilience and self-healing
Cloud-native applications are usually designed with resilience and self-healing in mind. For example, when a container or service fails, the system can automatically switch over or restart, ensuring business continuity. At the same time, cloud-native applications can automatically scale resources based on changes in load, such as increasing or decreasing the number of containers, to ensure system stability and high availability.
DevOps and Continuous Delivery
Cloud-native andDevOpsCulture is closely related, and DevOps emphasizes close collaboration between development and operations teams, promoting automation, rapid delivery, and frequent releases. Through DevOps practices, the development cycle of cloud-native applications is significantly shortened, and software quality and operational efficiency are also improved.
Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD) are essential components of DevOps, helping teams achieve fast and high-quality application delivery. Developers frequently submit code, which automatically triggers testing, building, and deployment processes, enabling rapid software iteration and maintaining continuous competitiveness.
The differences between cloud-native and traditional application development.
Cloud-native development has significant differences compared to traditional application development:
- Architectural DesignTraditional applications typically use a monolithic architecture, where all functionality modules run within a single application. Cloud-native applications, on the other hand, use a microservices architecture to split the application into multiple independent services, each with its own lifecycle.
- Deployment methodTraditional applications often rely on virtual machines or physical servers for deployment, while cloud-native applications are typically deployed in containers and managed using container orchestration tools such as Kubernetes.
- ScalabilityTraditional applications have poor scalability and typically require manual intervention, whereas cloud-native applications can automatically scale according to demand, offering greater flexibility and scalability.
- Operation and Maintenance ManagementTraditional application operations and maintenance are usually quite complex, requiring manual intervention and configuration, while cloud-native applications rely on automated tools and DevOps processes for more efficient operations management.
Summary
Cloud computing provides infrastructure support for cloud-native applications, while cloud-native architectures leverage features such as microservices, containerization, automation, and elastic design to fully utilize the advantages of cloud computing. Cloud-native is not just a technical architecture; it represents a completely new approach to application development and operations, helping enterprises respond quickly to market demands and improve software quality and development efficiency. As cloud computing and cloud-native technologies continue to evolve, applications will become more intelligent, efficient, and scalable.