As enterprise IT leaders chart their course for application modernization, the terms ‘cloud-native’ and ‘cloud-enabled’ are often used interchangeably. However, they represent two fundamentally different approaches to leveraging the cloud. Understanding the cloud native vs. cloud enabled distinction is critical for defining the right modernization path for your application portfolio and for maximizing the return on your cloud investment. This article will clarify the key differences between these two approaches and help you to make an informed decision about which is right for your business.
At its core, the difference between cloud-native and cloud-enabled comes down to how an application is designed and built. A cloud-enabled application is a traditional application that has been modified to run in the cloud. This approach, often referred to as ‘lift and shift,’ can be a quick way to get an application into the cloud, but it often fails to take full advantage of the cloud’s capabilities. A cloud-native application, on the other hand, is designed from the ground up to run in the cloud, leveraging cloud-native services and architectures. This approach requires a greater upfront investment, but it can deliver significant benefits in terms of scalability, resilience, and agility. For a deeper dive into modernization strategies, see our article on legacy system migration strategies.
What is Cloud Enabled?
A cloud-enabled application is essentially a monolithic application that has been moved to the cloud. The application is still built as a single, unified unit, but it is hosted on cloud infrastructure. This approach can be a good first step in a cloud journey, as it allows you to quickly exit your data center and to take advantage of some of the basic benefits of the cloud, such as on-demand infrastructure. However, cloud-enabled applications often suffer from the same limitations as their on-premises counterparts, including:
- Limited Scalability: Because the application is a monolith, it can only be scaled as a single unit, which is inefficient and costly.
- Low Resilience: If one part of the application fails, it can bring down the entire application.
- Slow Development Cycles: Even small changes require the entire application to be rebuilt and deployed, which is slow and risky.
What is Cloud Native?
A cloud-native application is built from the ground up to leverage the full power of the cloud. These applications are typically built using a microservices architecture, where the application is broken down into a collection of small, independent services. These services are then deployed in containers and managed by a container orchestration platform like Kubernetes. The key characteristics of a cloud-native application include:
- Microservices Architecture: The application is composed of small, independent services that can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently.
- Containerization: Each service is packaged in a container, which provides a consistent and portable runtime environment.
- DevOps and CI/CD: Cloud-native applications are built and deployed using a DevOps culture and a CI/CD pipeline, which enables rapid and reliable releases.
Cloud Native vs. Cloud Enabled: A Comparison
| Characteristic | Cloud Enabled | Cloud Native |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Monolithic | Microservices |
| Deployment | Virtual Machines | Containers (e.g., Docker) |
| Scalability | Scales the entire application. | Scales individual services. |
| Resilience | A single point of failure. | Isolation of failure. |
| Development | Slow, infrequent releases. | Fast, frequent releases. |
Which Approach is Right for You?
The decision of whether to take a cloud-enabled or a cloud-native approach depends on a variety of factors, including the specific application, your business goals, and your budget. A cloud-enabled approach may be a good choice for legacy applications that are not critical to your business and that you do not plan to invest in heavily in the future. A cloud-native approach, on the other hand, is the best choice for new applications and for existing applications that are critical to your business and that you want to continue to innovate on. For a deeper dive into the benefits of a modern architecture, see our article on the benefits of microservices. And for a look at the future of development, explore our guide to platform engineering.
Conclusion
Understanding the difference between cloud-native and cloud-enabled is essential for any IT leader who is developing a cloud modernization strategy. While a cloud-enabled approach can be a quick way to get to the cloud, a cloud-native approach is the key to unlocking the full potential of the cloud. By embracing cloud-native architectures and principles, you can build applications that are more scalable, resilient, and agile, enabling you to innovate faster and to gain a competitive advantage in the market. As you plan your modernization journey, be sure to carefully consider which approach is right for each of your applications to ensure that you are making the most of your cloud investment.
