Picking the right cloud architecture is extremely important for any type of business. Regardless of your niche, you want to know whether you need to go with a cloud-agnostic or cloud-native approach.
In this article we will learn about each cloud framework, what makes it different and why you should choose one over the other. Going either cloud-agnostic or cloud-native will present upsides, but also downsides!
What does cloud-agnostic mean?
The cloud-agnostic architecture is different because it doesn’t come with any dependencies from a cloud provider. What that means is that such a cloud solution will always work regardless of the platform. If you don’t want to be locked onto a certain provider, the cloud-agnostic option is usually better.
You can avoid disruptions and prevent significant downtime. The problem here is that you won’t have the entire architecture fully optimized to fit your specific needs. However, the lack of specific features being optimized for your platform can be problematic.
In general, the cloud-agnostic approach is ideal for existing apps that can be migrated between cloud providers.
If you want to avoid making some significant changes to the cloud architecture and thus eliminate downtime, then cloud-agnostic is definitely the best option. Although it will depend on your business.
What does cloud-native mean?
Unlike the cloud-agnostic approach, cloud-native means the applications are designed to run on that cloud infrastructure. It covers things like private cloud deployments, maybe even a cloud-based app store. While transferring to another cloud can be very difficult and time-consuming, there’s also an advantage here.
Everything is fully optimized for the architecture, so the speed and reliability levels are much higher when compared to a cloud-agnostic architecture. The trade-off is that migrating to another platform can be very cumbersome, challenging and extremely time-consuming as well.
You can go for a cloud-native system if you know you’re going to stick with the same cloud provider. You optimize everything for their architecture and that will help you learn how to improve efficiency.
It can also save both money and time, while also offering access to the features you need. While it’s not perfect, the cloud-native system is approached by a lot of businesses since it offers a cheaper option, at the expense of vendor lock-in.
Should you go with the cloud-native or cloud-agnostic option?
Ultimately, it always comes down to your requirements. The cloud-native approach is ideal if you want to save time and money. However, it can be expensive if you choose to switch providers later on. With the cloud-agnostic option, you don’t have to worry about that.
You receive a lot more flexibility and a way to easily switch cloud providers, if you deem that necessary. Deploying apps becomes a lot quicker, regardless of the cloud architecture. Ideally, you want to identify your needs and then pick the right solution accordingly.
Both cloud-agnostic and native options are great, but unless you stick with a single provider, going cloud-agnostic tends to be the better, more flexible option!
