Adopting a cloud-native first strategy can provide organizations with a range of benefits, including increased scalability, flexibility, and efficiency. But how does an organization get started with a cloud-native first strategy:
- Assess existing infrastructure: Before embarking on a cloud-native strategy, organizations should assess their existing infrastructure to identify areas for improvement. This could involve reviewing current systems, applications, and workflows to identify areas that could be moved to the cloud. Aim for some easy wins early on.
- Develop a cloud-native strategy: Once an assessment is complete, organizations should develop a cloud strategy that aligns with their business goals and objectives. This strategy should consider the type of cloud deployment (public, private, or hybrid) that best fits their needs, as well as the cloud services and solutions that will be required. Avoid instances and operating systems, focus on fully manged services from your cloud provider.
- Establish governance and security controls: Cloud-native architectures require robust governance and security controls to ensure that sensitive data is protected and compliance requirements are met. This includes establishing policies for identity and access management, data protection, and threat management. You cloud provider will have guidance and white papers for you.
- Adopt containerization and microservices: Containers and microservices are core components of cloud-native architectures. Containers allow applications to be packaged into portable units that can be easily deployed and scaled, while microservices enable applications to be broken down into smaller, independent components that can be developed and deployed more quickly. If using containers, use a managed container service.
- Emphasize automation and DevOps: Automation and DevOps practices are critical for managing cloud-native architectures at scale. This includes automating the deployment and management of infrastructure, using continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, and leveraging agile methodologies for software development.
- Encourage a cloud-native culture: Finally, organizations should foster a culture that emphasizes agility, innovation, and experimentation. This includes providing training and resources to employees to enable them to develop and deploy cloud-native applications, as well as encouraging a mindset of continuous improvement and learning.