Managing risk with Cloud Native

Jamie Dobson at Container Solutions explains why every business needs to understand Cloud Native

 

Cloud Native offers a range of benefits that transform how software applications are built, deployed, and managed, leading to greater efficiency, scalability, and resilience.

 

Cloud Native applications are structured in a modular fashion, meaning they are composed of smaller, loosely connected components known as microservices. This design allows development teams to work more effectively, as different aspects of an application can be created, deployed, and scaled separately from one another. 

 

But before a business embraces Cloud Native, it’s important to understand it.

 

Understanding Cloud Native

Cloud Native represents a new paradigm for building and operating software, optimised for cloud environments. Traditional IT systems attempt to minimise risk by creating rigid, tightly controlled environments where change is slow, and where any failure can have widespread consequences. Cloud Native, on the other hand, accepts that failures will occur and ensures that issues in one area do not compromise the entire application.

 

Microservices architecture allows Cloud Native to mitigate risk. Each microservice functions independently and can be restarted, updated, or expanded without affecting the overall system. This modularity enhances resilience and minimises the impact of unexpected failures.

 

Automation is another cornerstone of risk reduction in Cloud Native. By automating deployments, testing, and infrastructure management, human errors are significantly reduced, software updates become safer, and problems can be identified and resolved rapidly. This approach encourages frequent, incremental updates rather than large, risky releases, preventing major disruptions.

 

Cloud Native environments also excel in adaptability and resource management. Because cloud-based applications can dynamically allocate computing resources according to demand, they prevent performance bottlenecks and ensure that traffic surges do not lead to system failures. Traditional applications often struggle under unexpected load spikes, whereas Cloud Native applications distribute workloads dynamically, reducing the likelihood of downtime or degraded performance.

 

Security is another crucial area where Cloud Native addresses risk management. By employing containerisation, access control mechanisms, and built-in security frameworks, applications are safeguarded from the start. Isolating workloads, enforcing strict access policies, and continuously monitoring for vulnerabilities ensures that security threats are addressed proactively rather than reactively.

 

Rapid recovery is another feature of Cloud Native applications. Rather than attempting to eliminate all possible failures, Cloud Native systems prioritise early detection and swift remedy. Accepting that failures are inevitable and designing systems that can recover from them efficiently is central to Cloud Native.

 

Ultimately, Cloud Native is not about completely avoiding risk but about handling it strategically. It recognises the complexity and unpredictability of modern IT environments and provides the necessary architectures, tools, and operational strategies to contain risks, minimise disruptions, and enable businesses to innovate with confidence.

 

Adopting Cloud Native practices

Implementing Cloud Native requires adhering to five core architectural principles:

 

First, it relies on infrastructure or platform as a service. Whether utilising Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, AWS, or an internal data centre, the infrastructure must be elastic, allowing it to expand or contract based on demand.

 

Second, applications should be developed with microservices in mind. Rather than constructing a monolithic system, applications are divided into smaller, self-sufficient units. This is similar to having separate electrical circuits in a building where each can function independently and be modified without shutting down the entire system.

 

Third, automation is essential. Any task performed more than once should be scripted. This includes testing, deployments, and configuration management. Automated processes eliminate human errors and free up teams to focus on innovation rather than repetitive tasks.

 

Fourth, containerisation ensures that applications are packaged with all necessary dependencies, making them portable and consistent across various environments. Whether running on a developer’s local PC or a cloud-based production server, the application will behave identically, eliminating compatibility issues.

 

Finally, orchestration tools automate the coordination of multiple components, much like a skilled conductor directing an orchestra, ensuring that each part functions harmoniously.

 

How different businesses approach Cloud Native

For startups, the primary advantage of Cloud Native is speed. It enables rapid experimentation, swift deployment of new features, effortless scaling when a product gains traction, and minimal upfront infrastructure investment.

 

For businesses in the scaling phase, the key Cloud Native benefit is it allows systems to expand without requiring major redesigns, breaks down applications into manageable components, enables independent scaling of development teams, and supports a pay-as-you-grow model. Additionally, it offers global reach without the burden of managing physical infrastructure.

 

For enterprises, Cloud Native’s greatest advantage is efficiency. It facilitates the transition from capital-intensive infrastructure investments to on-demand operational expenditures, supports gradual modernisation strategies, enables independent deployment of services, provides access to modern technology stacks, and integrates robust security and compliance measures.

 

More than a trend

Cloud Native is more than a technology trend. It represents a shift in how software is built and managed. It balances agility with reliability, adaptability with security, and cost-effectiveness with long-term sustainability.

 

Regardless of whether an organisation is a small startup, a scaling business, or a well-established enterprise, the key to adopting Cloud Native successfully is to start with specific challenges and work backward to determine the best approach.  

 

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Jamie Dobson is the founder of Container Solutions, and has been helping companies, across industries, move to Cloud Native ways of working for over ten years. He is co-author of the new book, The Cloud Native Attitude  

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and TU IS