Cloud ready refers to an existing, localised system which is now being used in a cloud environment. Think of it as taking something built for a traditional on-premises setup and running it in the cloud.
It's similar to cloud-compatible technology but typically, these technologies aren't originally designed for the cloud and may share some disadvantages.
Understanding Cloud Ready
Here's a breakdown:
- Existing Systems: These are applications or infrastructure that were initially built to run on local servers, not the cloud.
- Cloud Environment: These systems are then deployed and operated within a cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
- Not Cloud-Native: Unlike cloud-native applications, cloud-ready systems weren't designed with the cloud's scalability, elasticity, and distributed nature in mind.
Cloud Ready vs. Cloud Native
To illustrate the difference, consider this table:
| Feature | Cloud Ready | Cloud Native |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Built for on-premises | Built for the cloud |
| Scalability | Can scale, but may require more effort | Designed for automatic and elastic scaling |
| Architecture | Often monolithic | Microservices-based |
| Resource Usage | May not be optimized for cloud resources | Efficient use of cloud resources |
| Deployment | Can be complex | Streamlined and automated |
Potential Downsides of Cloud Ready Systems
As the provided reference highlights, cloud-ready systems share potential downsides:
- Suboptimal Performance: They may not fully leverage the cloud's capabilities, leading to less efficient performance.
- Increased Costs: Inefficient resource utilization can result in higher cloud costs.
- Management Overhead: Managing and maintaining cloud-ready systems can be more complex compared to cloud-native applications.
- Limited Scalability: Scaling might be limited due to the original design constraints.
Example
Imagine a legacy accounting application designed for a single server in an office. Moving it to a cloud server makes it "cloud-ready." However, it might not automatically scale to handle peak loads or take advantage of cloud-specific features like serverless functions. A cloud-native accounting application, on the other hand, would be designed from the ground up to handle variable workloads and utilize cloud services efficiently.
