A cloud-enabled application is essentially a traditional application that has been migrated to the cloud infrastructure. Despite being hosted in the cloud, it retains its original client-server architecture. The reference material states, "An application that has been migrated to the Cloud but was created using a traditional client-server architecture is referred to as a cloud-enabled application." This migration offers device and location independence, meaning users can access the application from various devices and locations.
Understanding Cloud-Enabled Applications
Here's a breakdown of what a cloud-enabled application entails:
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Migration of Traditional Applications: Cloud-enabling often involves taking an existing application, originally designed for on-premise infrastructure, and moving it to the cloud. This could mean relocating the application's servers and databases to a cloud provider's data center.
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Client-Server Architecture: Crucially, a cloud-enabled application typically retains its original client-server architecture. This is a key differentiator from cloud-native applications, which are designed specifically for the cloud and utilize its capabilities from the ground up.
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Device and Location Agnostic: As the reference notes, applications in the cloud become device- and location-agnostic. This means users can access the application from anywhere with an internet connection, using a variety of devices (desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.).
Example Scenario
Imagine a company has an accounting application that was originally installed on servers within their office building. To cloud-enable this application, the company could:
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Migrate the Application: Move the application's servers and databases to a cloud platform like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
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Maintain the Architecture: Keep the application's client-server design. Users still interact with the application through a client (e.g., a desktop application or a web browser), which communicates with the server in the cloud.
Advantages
Cloud-enabling an application offers several advantages, including:
- Accessibility: Users can access the application from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Scalability: Cloud infrastructure can often scale resources (e.g., server capacity) up or down as needed.
- Cost Savings: Potentially lower costs associated with hardware maintenance and IT infrastructure.
Cloud-Enabled vs. Cloud-Native
| Feature | Cloud-Enabled Application | Cloud-Native Application |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Traditional client-server, migrated to the cloud | Designed specifically for the cloud, often using microservices |
| Scalability | Scalability limited by original architecture | Highly scalable, designed to leverage cloud elasticity |
| Development | Often requires minimal code changes during migration | Requires a different development approach (DevOps, CI/CD) |
| Cloud Services | May not fully utilize cloud-native services | Designed to utilize cloud-native services (e.g., serverless functions) |
| Portability | Might be more difficult to move between cloud providers | Designed for portability and deployment across different clouds |
