When it comes to traditional software development, it is a single, monolithic, and tightly integrated process. As a result, the shortcoming of the traditional process is that it lacks flexibility, which makes it difficult for a firm to scale as per growing requirements.
However, with the use of cloud native application refactoring, companies can allow their IT teams to quickly introduce new app functionalities. Refactoring allows a company to break the process into smaller parts and support them with cloud native applications.
Refactoring Cloud Native Applications: An Overview
Refactoring ensures that an application can run on the infrastructure provided by a cloud service provider. It entails a complete re-architecture of the application to make it suitable for the new cloud platform.
Cloud native application refactoring involves changing the existing application to leverage from the flexibility of the cloud environment. It is more complex as compared to traditional cloud migration since it requires making changes to the application code while ensuring that it does not affect the application performance.
An example of refactoring is making changes to the application code to ensure better utilization of cloud resources. Thus, changes are made to the application before it is deployed to the cloud. This approach is time-intensive and requires expert skills. But the rewards of cloud native application refactoring are worth the investment.
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When Should You Consider Native Application Refactoring?
Refactoring is an agile software development technology that minimizes the costs of cloud deployment. Most integrated cloud platforms offer refactoring support. It is a popular cloud native application refactoring software design methodology that is center to agile and extreme programming concepts.
If your organization wants to improve business continuity and enhance flexibility, cloud native application refactoring is the recommended method as it offers real benefits to businesses.
How to Maximize ROI with Cloud Native Application Refactoring
Organizations can maximize the benefits with refactoring in many different ways. Here are some of the effective techniques that can help firms to gain maximum benefits from cloud application refactoring.
Complete Refactoring
The process of complete refactoring involves changing about 50 percent of the application code and updating the database to leverage from cloud native features. It can help minimize organizational costs and improve performance. The downside of this method is that it is complex and costly. Bugs can be introduced during the refracting process, which can create additional problems for the development team.
Minimum Viable Refactoring
This method involves prioritizing certain aspects of the application performance while optimizing for cloud deployment. The development team typically focuses on improving the efficiency and speed of the application in the cloud ecosystem.
Developers focus on enhancing cloud native security and may incorporate cloud database into the migrated workload. The technique does not lead to gaining as many benefits as from a complete cloud native refactoring. But it will help the team to tackle issues that are the most problematic in ensuring compatibility to the cloud.
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Containerization Refactoring
Containerization refactoring involves moving applications to containers while making minimal changes to the code. The application is bound within the counters that allow users to implement cloud-native features. The method also helps improve the portability of cloud solutions.
However, the method has a difficult learning curve due to the use of novel technologies. But the refactoring time and costs go down with practice. The popularity of containers and the associated ecosystem has led to many developers using the containerization refactoring method.
The applications are moved into the containers that allow improved portability. Moreover, it allows developers to implement cloud native features into the app. Adapting to the new tools may be difficult due to the increased learning curve. But an increasing number of users are using the method as it helps maximize ROI.
Serverless Application Refactoring
Serverless application is another method to gain maximum benefits from cloud deployment. It has similar problems as containerization refraction as it requires making changes to the development and operations platforms, which can be a complex endeavor.
Therefore, app developers are required to learn new skills and tools to implement the serverless application refactoring method. They will also have to modify the application code to ensure that the application supports the cloud native environment within a serverless system.
Additionally, serverless platforms are not portable. Another issue with the method is that complex coding skills are required to make changes to the development and operations platform. Modifications are required to ensure that the application works flawlessly while minimizing the costs associated with the cloud platform.
Developers can use any of the above methods to gain the most from cloud native application refactoring. But, minimum viable refactoring is the best method. The fact is that refactoring is a variable activity that depends on the complexity of the application. During the assessment process, it is not possible to know exactly what is required for application refactoring. Minimum viable refactoring ensures that the application is optimized for the cloud environment, meeting the critical requirements. It allows quick optimization of applications for cloud deployment.
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Conclusion
Refactoring is driven due to the need for leveraging cloud capabilities while remaining lean and agile. The outcome of refactoring is a cloud-native application that makes the most of the cloud technologies.
The process transforms the application code, components, and data to optimize for cloud deployment, which is not an easy task and requires expert coding skills. But the method is rewarding as it helps reduce costs while increasing the responsiveness and resilience of the application.
Refactoring should be considered before deployment of the application to the cloud. Going back and modifying the code after cloud deployment will be a difficult task. Application refactoring will save a lot of time in modifying apps. While cloud native application refactoring method may be costly in the short term, the rewards exceed the costs in the long term.
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