What is cloud application development?
Cloud-based software or a cloud-based application is an app that runs in the cloud and is interacted with by web browsers and APIs.
It provides the functionality of a native application, and its servers are usually located in a remote data center operated by a third-party cloud services infrastructure provider.
On top of that, cloud-based application development can be a gradual process. The components of the application and architecture can be implemented in steps. It also means lower costs for your business. As the major cloud infrastructure and service providers work at a very large scale, they can offer competitive prices that wouldn’t be possible with an equivalent on-premises installation. Cloud software is also characterized by higher data security.
Again, cloud services can afford the infrastructure for security measures specific to large enterprises, and your business can leverage them at lower prices. Cloud applications are also easier to scale and manage. They also provide greater responsiveness and don't need to permanently reside on local devices.
The biggest difference between cloud and web applications is their architecture. This is a key benefit for users – they can use a cloud app offline and update its content online when needed. A cloud application performs processing tasks on a local computer or workstation. An Internet connection is required primarily for downloading or uploading data.
A web application or web-based application, on the other hand, needs a continuous internet connection to function.
What are advantages of cloud computing
How can your product benefit from the possibilities offered by cloud computing?
Let’s take a look at the top benefits cloud computing services bring to the table and why more and more businesses decide to use them over setting up their own infrastructure.
Minimal upfront costs. When choosing a cloud computing service, businesses do not need to worry about any costs associated with purchasing and setting up servers or building and operating data centers.
Built-in high availability. The biggest cloud providers have complex infrastructures, comprising multiple data centers scattered across the globe.
Minimized management overhead. Some cloud computing services minimize the infrastructure required to serve customers, making it nearly non-existent from the client’s point of view (for instance, so-called serverless solutions). As a result, developers can focus on creation – they write the code or create a Docker image and deploy it to the cloud without the need to engage operations and infrastructure in the process.
Faster time to market. Through cloud migration, you can cut down the deployment of new servers from days to minutes, which results in faster time to market.
Build for innovation. Cloud providers offer plenty of resources, which you automatically get access to. You can use them to innovate and get ahead of the competition.
Cost optimization. Irrespective of the cloud provider you go for, most of them offer solutions for optimizing infrastructure costs. Some of them include on-demand or reserved instances and cost reduction for prolonged use of resources.
Always ready for higher traffic. Respectively, as your business grows, you will be able to automatically scale up your cloud computing solution so that it serves tens of millions of requests. This comes without the additional costs of setting up and maintaining additional in-house servers.
How to move applications to the cloud?
7 steps for a successful cloud migration:
Evaluate the opportunity. Name the business case that will drive your migration to the cloud. As your cloud migration progresses, this will help keep your eye on the ball. It will also allow you to avoid some of the most common cloud migration mistakes.
Assess your existing infrastructure. Then it's time to map your apps, databases, and other assets so that you can understand their interdependencies. A deeper understanding of what's inside your infrastructure will help you outline a migration plan.
Plan a safe migration order. You don't have to migrate all apps. Only account for apps that can benefit from the move. Prioritize items with fewer dependencies and gradually include all services. This process should get you to a preliminary execution plan, which will require further refinement.
Adjust and test your infrastructure. It's time to ensure that your infrastructure is ready for the move. So do your services comply with 12-factor application principles? Are your applications properly isolated and packaged? Do they support scaling? Can app copies work simultaneously? If all is good, you can execute the migration plan.
Deploy it!
Monitor your deployment.
Work towards a new operating model.
What are examples of cloud applications?
Salesforce and Google Apps are two of the most popular cloud applications. Users can access cloud applications and data from any computer with an internet connection.
This makes them perfect for businesses that have a mobile workforce or that need to be able to access their applications and data from anywhere in the world.
What are cloud development platforms?
Cloud development platforms are software platforms that enable developers to create and deploy applications and services in the cloud. Cloud development platforms provide a simple way to manage resources, automate application deployment, and scale apps as needed.
The most popular cloud development platforms include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. Each of these platforms offers a variety of services and features that allow developers to create and deploy applications quickly and easily.
Is cloud development hard?
It can be hard, but it depends on the level of the developer’s experience. Developing cloud applications can be difficult for those who are new to the cloud or who have limited experience with cloud-based development.
However, for those who are already familiar with the cloud and have experience with developing cloud-based applications, it's likely that the switch to developing apps for the cloud will be a relatively easy process.
The main challenge associated with developing cloud applications is that developers need to understand well both the platform they’re developing on, and the app’s architecture.
They also need to be able to design an application in a way that takes advantage of the scalability and elasticity of the cloud. Fortunately, there are many online resources available that help with this process.
