Cloud Friendly vs Cloud Native: Which One to Choose?

Updated July 25th, 2023

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Cloud friendly refers to applications or systems that can run in the cloud environment with little or no modification. These applications can work on the cloud platform, but they may not be specifically designed to take full advantage of cloud features and benefits.

On the other hand cloud native describes applications or systems that are purposefully built and optimized to fully utilize the advantages of cloud computing. These applications are designed from the ground up to work seamlessly within the cloud environment, taking advantage of features like scalability, resilience, and flexibility.

In this article, we will delve into the core concepts of cloud-friendly and cloud native and unveil the key differences that set them apart.

Let’s dive in!

Table of contents #

Cloud friendly vs cloud native: Defining the terms
Difference between cloud friendly and cloud native
What makes an application cloud-friendly?
Examples
Pros and cons
Summarizing it all together
Related reads

Cloud friendly vs cloud native: Defining the terms #

What does cloud friendly mean? #

Cloud-friendly refers to applications or systems that can be deployed and operated in the cloud environment but were originally designed for traditional on-premises infrastructure. These applications are adaptable to run in cloud environments but lack the inherent optimizations and characteristics that fully leverage the cloud’s potential.

Key characteristics of cloud-friendly:

Compatibility: Cloud-friendly applications can be deployed on cloud platforms without significant modifications, making them suitable for migration from on-premises systems.
Minimal Cloud Optimization: While they can function in the cloud, they often do not take full advantage of cloud-specific features like auto-scaling or dynamic resource allocation.
Limited Scalability: Although they can be deployed in the cloud, their scalability might be constrained, as they might not efficiently adapt to handle varying workloads.

What does cloud native mean? #

On the other hand, cloud-native denotes applications or systems that are purpose-built and optimized to harness the complete power of cloud computing. These applications are designed from the ground up, keeping the cloud environment in mind.

Cloud-native applications are architected to take advantage of cloud-specific features such as auto-scaling, containerization, micro-services architecture, and flexible resource allocation. The development and deployment of cloud-native applications revolve around cloud-first principles, ensuring that they maximize the benefits of the cloud infrastructure they reside in.

Key characteristics of cloud-native:

Designed for the cloud: Cloud-native applications are built from the ground up with cloud-specific principles, allowing them to harness the full potential of cloud platforms.
Micro-services architecture: They typically adopt a micro-services approach, breaking down functionalities into smaller, independent services, which enables easier management and scalability.
Containerization: Cloud-native applications are often containerized, allowing for easy deployment, scaling, and isolation of individual components.
Auto-scaling and resilience: Cloud-native systems can automatically scale up or down based on demand and are designed to handle failures gracefully, ensuring high availability.

What is the difference between cloud friendly and cloud native? #

Now, let us understand the differences between cloud-friendly and cloud-native across different parameters:

1. Design philosophy #

The primary distinction lies in their design approach. Cloud-friendly applications were initially intended for on-premises use and later adapted for the cloud, whereas cloud-native applications are purpose-built for cloud environments.

2. Cloud optimization #

Cloud-native applications are optimized to take full advantage of cloud features, such as auto-scaling, on-demand resource allocation, and serverless capabilities. Cloud-friendly applications, while functional in the cloud, may not fully exploit these cloud-specific optimizations.

3. Scalability and resilience #

Cloud-native architectures inherently support easy scalability and resilience due to their micro-services-based design. On the other hand, cloud-friendly applications might have limited scalability, as they were not designed with cloud elasticity in mind.

4. Cloud integration #

Cloud-native applications are tightly integrated with cloud services, leveraging Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offerings, managed databases, and other cloud-specific services. Cloud-friendly applications often use Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and might require more manual management.

In summary, while both cloud-friendly and cloud-native applications can operate in the cloud, the key difference lies in their core design principles and the extent to which they harness the advantages of the cloud environment. Cloud-friendly solutions are adaptable to the cloud, while cloud-native solutions are purpose-built to thrive within it.

What makes an application cloud-friendly? #

An application is cloud-friendly when it can be deployed and operated in the cloud environment with relative ease, even though it was originally designed for traditional on-premises infrastructure. While not fully optimized for cloud capabilities, cloud-friendly applications can run in the cloud without significant modifications or major architectural changes.

Here are some characteristics that make an application cloud-friendly:

Compatibility
Portability
Decoupled components
Virtualization support
Resource abstraction
Hybrid cloud support
Cost efficiency

Let us understand each of them in bit detail:

1. Compatibility #

Cloud-friendly applications are designed to be compatible with common cloud platforms and services. They can be migrated to the cloud with minimal effort and without substantial code refactoring.

2. Portability #

These applications can run across multiple cloud providers or environments, making them more versatile in terms of deployment options.

3. Decoupled components #

Cloud-friendly applications may have loosely coupled components, making it easier to deploy and manage them in a distributed cloud environment.

4. Virtualization support #

They are often compatible with virtualized environments, which is a foundational aspect of cloud computing.

5. Resource abstraction #

Cloud-friendly applications tend to abstract underlying resources, enabling them to function on different cloud infrastructures without direct dependencies on specific hardware or configurations.

6. Hybrid cloud support #

Cloud-friendly applications may offer the ability to operate in hybrid environments, allowing for a mix of on-premises and cloud-based components.

7. Cost efficiency #

These applications might be cost-efficient in the cloud, offering some benefits of cloud infrastructure without requiring significant changes to the application’s architecture.

Cloud friendly and cloud native: Examples #

In this section, we will look at a few examples of cloud friendly and cloud native applications.

Example 1: Cloud-friendly application - Traditional web application #

Imagine a web application that was initially designed to run on a single on-premises server with a relational database. This application has been serving the company well for years, but now the company wants to take advantage of the cloud’s flexibility.

To make this application cloud-friendly, the developers refactor it to be compatible with a popular cloud provider. They replace the on-premises server with a virtual machine in the cloud, install the necessary software, and connect it to a cloud-managed database service. The application can now be deployed in the cloud without major modifications.

Characteristics of the cloud friendly application:

Compatibility with cloud infrastructure and services
Virtualization support to run on cloud-based virtual machines
Utilization of managed database services for cloud compatibility
Improved portability across different cloud providers

Example 2: Cloud-native application - Serverless micro-services application #

Consider a new startup building an e-commerce platform from scratch. Instead of taking a traditional monolithic approach, they design the application to be cloud-native and leverage micro-services architecture.

In this cloud-native application, each functionality (e.g., user authentication, product catalog, payment processing) is developed as an independent micro-service. These micro-services are containerized using Docker and deployed to a cloud-based container orchestration platform like Kubernetes. The application is built with serverless components, utilizing cloud functions for handling specific tasks.

Characteristics of the cloud-native application

Purpose-built for the cloud, leveraging cloud-native principles.
Micro-services architecture with independent and scalable components.
Containerization for easy deployment and management.
Serverless components for cost-efficiency and automatic scaling.
Utilization of cloud-native services and offerings for various functionalities.

Example 3: Cloud-friendly application - Lift and shift migration #

Consider a legacy on-premises business application that the company decides to migrate to the cloud. However, due to budget and time constraints, they opt for a “lift and shift” approach.

In this scenario, the application is rehosted on a cloud infrastructure with minimal changes. The virtual machines are set up to replicate the existing on-premises environment, and the application is deployed on these cloud instances with its dependencies.

Characteristics of the cloud-friendly application

Relatively straightforward migration to the cloud with minimal refactoring.
Rehosting of the application onto cloud-based virtual machines.
Limited cloud-specific optimizations and scalability.

In summary, these examples demonstrate that cloud-friendly applications can operate in the cloud, but they lack the full optimization and inherent advantages of cloud-native applications. Cloud-native applications are specifically designed to fully leverage cloud capabilities, providing better scalability, flexibility, and cost efficiency. Choosing between cloud-friendly and cloud-native approaches depends on factors like development time, budget constraints, and the level of cloud benefits desired.

Cloud friendly vs cloud native: Pros and cons #

What are the benefits of cloud friendly applications? #

Ease of migration: Cloud-friendly applications can be relatively easy to migrate from on-premises infrastructure to the cloud. They offer a smoother transition for organizations looking to move their existing applications to the cloud without major architectural changes.
Compatibility: These applications can run across various cloud providers, offering greater flexibility and reducing vendor lock-in concerns.
Utilization of existing code: Cloud-friendly applications allow businesses to leverage their existing codebase, which can save time and resources during the migration process.
Hybrid cloud support: Cloud-friendly applications can often operate in hybrid environments, allowing organizations to maintain some components on-premises while utilizing cloud resources for specific tasks.

What are the demerits of cloud friendly applications? #

Limited cloud optimization: Cloud-friendly applications may not fully exploit the advantages of cloud computing, such as auto-scaling, serverless computing, and dynamic resource allocation.
Scalability constraints: While they can run in the cloud, these applications might not be as scalable as cloud-native architectures, potentially leading to performance issues under heavy workloads.
Dependency on infrastructure management: Cloud-friendly applications may still require manual management of infrastructure components, leading to higher operational overhead compared to cloud-native solutions.

What are the benefits of cloud native applications? #

Optimized for cloud benefits: Cloud-native applications are purpose-built to take full advantage of cloud capabilities, such as auto-scaling, serverless computing, and managed services, ensuring better performance and cost efficiency.
Scalability and flexibility: The micro-services architecture of cloud-native applications enables them to scale and evolve easily based on workload demands, providing greater flexibility in adapting to changing business needs.
High availability and resilience: Cloud-native architectures are designed to handle failures gracefully, ensuring high availability and minimizing downtime.
Resource efficiency: Leveraging serverless computing and dynamic scaling, cloud-native applications optimize resource usage, leading to cost savings by only consuming resources as needed.

What are the demerits of cloud native application? #

Development complexity: Building cloud-native applications from scratch requires a significant investment in time, expertise, and development resources.
Learning curve: Teams may need to acquire new skills and knowledge in cloud-native technologies and practices to design, develop, and manage these applications effectively.
Vendor lock-in: While cloud-native applications take advantage of cloud provider-specific services, this can create vendor lock-in, making migration to another cloud provider more challenging.
Operational overhead: Managing micro-services, containers, and serverless components requires robust DevOps practices and continuous monitoring, leading to potential operational complexities.

Choosing the right approach #

The decision between cloud-friendly and cloud-native architectures depends on various factors, including the nature of the application, the organization’s cloud maturity, budget, and long-term goals.

Cloud-friendly solutions are suitable for quick migrations and leveraging existing investments, while cloud-native solutions provide superior performance and cost benefits but require a higher initial investment and deeper cloud expertise. Ultimately, organizations need to evaluate their specific needs and priorities to determine the most appropriate approach for their cloud-based projects.

Summarizing it all together #

It’s important to note that while cloud-friendly applications can run in the cloud, they may not fully exploit the cloud’s potential benefits, such as auto-scaling, serverless computing, or other cloud-native features. As a result, while they may be a good starting point for cloud adoption or migration, businesses may consider transitioning to cloud-native architecture to fully leverage the advantages of cloud computing.