Cloud providers offer a broad range of tools and technologies. For cloud native architecture to flourish, it is crucial to synergize these tools and apply them using cloud native techniques. This approach will lay the foundation for a platform conducive to efficient cloud native application development.
Laboratory, Factory, Citadel, and Observatory
When conceptualizing a cloud native platform, envision the construction of four key “facilities” on top of the cloud: the laboratory, factory, citadel, and observatory, as shown in Figure 1-6. Each one serves a specific purpose to promote productivity, efficiency, and security:
Laboratory
The laboratory maximizes developer productivity by providing a friction-free environment equipped with the necessary tools and resources for application innovation and development. It should foster a safe environment conducive to experimentation and rapid feedback.
Factory
The factory prioritizes efficiency. It processes the application—originally created in the laboratory—through various stages of assembly and rigorous testing. The output is a secure, scalable, and low-maintenance application ready for deployment.
Citadel
The citadel is a fortified environment designed to run the application securely and effectively, protecting it from potential attacks.
Observatory
The observatory serves as the oversight hub for all services and applications running in the cloud.
Figure 1-6. Developing effective cloud facilities
Ensuring a smooth transition of applications from the laboratory, through the factory, and into the citadel is critical. The same immutable code should be automatically transported between different facilities.
The Need for More Than Just a Factory
During the 90s, when I was thinking about what to study at university, I found inspiration in an episode of the BBC TV program Troubleshooter. The imposing Sir John Harvey-Jones visited the struggling classic car company, Morgan, suggesting they replace their outdated manufacturing methods with a modern factory to enhance production and product consistency. From then on, I was captivated by the idea of improving companies’ efficiency.
Yet, a decade later, a follow-up episode revealed that Morgan had defied Sir John’s advice entirely, instead capitalizing on their unique craftsmanship as a selling point. Remarkably, the TV program itself ended up promoting their craftsmanship and drawing new customers.
For many enterprises, the prospect of establishing a factory presents an enticing solution to streamline what is often perceived as the chaotic landscape of the cloud. As an engineer, I naturally gravitate toward such systematic order. However, confining and regulating development solely within an automated production line risks sacrificing innovation and craftsmanship, attributes that often set a product apart. A factory-only approach could undermine the creative freedom facilitated by the on-demand public cloud, which is skillfully exploited by digital natives.
To harness the cloud’s full potential, it’s not enough to have a factory for automating testing and ensuring quality consistency; a laboratory is equally crucial. In this space, developers can craft and rapidly innovate a product in a safe environment, with a wide array of tools at their disposal, before transitioning smoothly to the factory.
Once the factory has produced thoroughly tested and trusted applications, a third facility, the citadel, is necessary where the application can function securely in a production setting.