What is Cloud Native SaaS and what are its advantages?
"Have you ever wondered where the effectiveness and success of Cloud Native SaaS come from? Discover how the cloud can transform your business with its immediate functionality and speed.
We will start by defining each term to better understand this concept:
What is Software as a Service (SaaS)?
Software as a Service, or SaaS, is a software distribution and delivery model where the service provider hosts and maintains applications in the cloud, and users access them via the internet.
Instead of installing and running the software on their own devices or servers, users simply use the application through a web browser or dedicated user interface.
In the SaaS model, service providers are responsible for the entire software lifecycle, from initial deployment to updates and ongoing maintenance.
Users, on the other hand, typically pay a fee to access and use the software, and don't have to worry about technical aspects such as infrastructure, security, or updates.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud Computing, or Cloud computing, is a model for delivering information technology (IT) services over the internet. Instead of having to install and maintain local infrastructure, such as servers and networks, users can access computing resources, such as storage, servers, databases, software, and more, through the cloud.
In the Cloud Computing model, cloud service providers host and manage the entire infrastructure, allowing users to access these resources remotely.
What is Cloud Native Development?
Cloud Native Development, or Cloud Native Development, is a software development approach specifically designed to build applications that fully leverage the advantages of the cloud and are highly scalable, flexible, and resilient.
This approach is based on the principles and practices of cloud computing and focuses on using technologies and tools that facilitate the creation and operation of applications in cloud-native environments.
Cloud Native SaaS
Thus, we can say that Cloud Native SaaS is a type of architecture referring to Software as a Service (SaaS) applications that are developed, designed, and deployed as cloud-native applications.
Essentially, Cloud Native SaaS focuses on creating SaaS applications that are highly scalable, flexible, resilient, and can fully leverage the capabilities of the cloud.
By adopting a Cloud Native SaaS approach, businesses can fully leverage the benefits of the cloud, such as automated management and the ability to quickly adapt to customer needs. This allows them to offer more efficient, reliable, and flexible services to their end users.
Benefits of Cloud Native SaaS
The benefits of Cloud Native SaaS are numerous and span various areas for both service providers and end users. Here are the main benefits:
Scalability: They are designed to be highly scalable. Providers can quickly adapt to the increasing demand for users and resources, allowing applications to maintain high performance even during times of intense traffic.
Availability and reliability: They can offer high availability and reliable uptime. Providers handle the infrastructure and service management, reducing the risk of failures and system outages.
Automatic updates and maintenance: Users benefit from the continuous updates and maintenance provided by the service provider. This ensures that they are always using the latest software version with the most recent features and the latest bug fixes.
Access from anywhere: They are accessible via the internet from any device with a connection, giving users the flexibility to access their applications and data from anywhere and at any time.
Reduced costs: Users don't need to invest in local infrastructure or IT staff to maintain and manage the software. Instead of initial license payments and maintenance costs, users can pay periodic fees based on usage, helping to control and reduce operating costs.
Development agility: This approach allows developers to adopt agile and DevOps practices, facilitating the fast and continuous delivery of new features and updates. This improves the responsiveness to market needs and user feedback.
Security and compliance: Providers focus on security and regulatory compliance, which includes the implementation of advanced security measures and the protection of user data.
Ease of integration: This service offers APIs, making it easier to integrate with other applications and systems, allowing businesses to expand their functionalities or improve operational efficiency.
What advantages does Cloud Native offer?
Cloud Native offers a modern and agile approach to the development and operation of applications in the cloud, promoting rapid adaptation to market demands and customer needs through its scalability, flexibility, and efficiency.
The services offered by Cloud Native run independently of the environment. For instance, it's possible to start or stop various functions or activities of a container, which is particularly convenient during testing and development phases.
Another significant advantage is that, since the services are not tied to a specific operating system or hardware, there is no fixed link with a single provider.
Moreover, being a service that is not installed as such on hardware, updates and changes are immediately reflected in the cloud architecture, allowing services to respond as quickly as possible to customer and market requirements.
Cloud Native Architecture
For Cloud Native to exist effectively, pillars are needed that support all the information and services it offers. The key features of a Cloud Native SaaS application include:
Containers: Applications are packaged in containers, allowing greater portability and consistency across different runtime environments. This facilitates deployment and scalability.
Container Orchestration: Orchestration tools like Kubernetes (an open-source platform) are used to manage and coordinate containers automatically, enabling more efficient management and high availability.
Microservices: Cloud Native SaaS applications are designed as a set of independent microservices that can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently.
Automated Scalability: Applications are designed to scale automatically based on demand, ensuring optimal performance and the ability to handle variable loads.
Infrastructure as Code (IaC): The infrastructure needed to run the application is defined and managed through code, allowing for simpler and more consistent deployment and management.
Monitoring and Logging: Monitoring and logging solutions are integrated to provide real-time insights into the performance and status of the application, facilitating problem identification and resolution.
Resilience and Fault Tolerance: Cloud Native SaaS applications are designed to be resilient and capable of recovering from failures and errors automatically or with minimal human intervention.
DevOps: The DevOps culture is integrated into the development and delivery process, promoting collaboration between development and operations teams and facilitating continuous delivery.
Types of Cloud Natives
There are three main types of clouds: public clouds, private clouds, and hybrid clouds. These types are defined based on the access and control that organizations have over resources and services in the cloud. We explain each one below:
Public Clouds (Public Clouds)
These clouds are available for public use and can be accessed by anyone or any company via the internet. Public clouds are managed by cloud service providers, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
Resources, such as virtual servers, storage, and applications, are shared among multiple clients. Users can acquire resources elastically and pay only for what they use, making public clouds highly scalable and cost-effective. However, being shared among multiple users, some organizations may be concerned about the security and privacy of their data in a public cloud.
Private Clouds (Private Clouds)
Private clouds are cloud infrastructures established and maintained exclusively for a single organization. They can be located on the company's premises or in dedicated data centers.
The main feature of a private cloud is that it provides greater control and security to the organization since only its employees have access to it. Private clouds are ideal for companies that handle highly sensitive data, have specific compliance requirements, or want more customization and control over their infrastructure. However, deploying and maintaining a private cloud can be costly and require more time and resources compared to a public cloud.
Hybrid Clouds (Hybrid Clouds)
Hybrid clouds are a combination of public and private clouds that operate as independent entities but are connected to each other. The interconnection between the clouds is achieved using secure network technologies and communication protocols.
This type of cloud allows organizations to use services and resources from both clouds, providing flexibility and optimizing performance, cost, and security based on the company's specific needs.
That is, an organization can use a private cloud to handle confidential data and critical applications while using a public cloud to scale quickly during high-demand periods. The choice between public, private, or hybrid clouds depends on the requirements of each company, including aspects such as data sensitivity, budget, scalability, performance, and flexibility.
Many organizations choose to adopt a hybrid cloud strategy to leverage the benefits of both options and achieve a more balanced and adaptable approach.
In summary, the most attractive feature of a Cloud Native SaaS is that it does not require knowing where its applications are hosted; you can access them from cloud operators or combine them with private clouds. This architecture is not limited to large corporations; it is also within the reach of small businesses.
The effective use of technologies is beginning to blur the line that separates local or remote environments, environments running on virtualization or direct hardware, or the limitations of development environments different from production. Are you ready for your company to make this change?
