What are the most effective ways to reduce cloud-native system architecture costs?

1 Choose the right cloud service model

One of the first decisions you need to make when designing a cloud-native system is what type of cloud service model to use. There are three main options: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Each of these models has different advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost, control, and flexibility. For example, IaaS gives you more control over the underlying infrastructure, but also requires more management and maintenance. PaaS provides you with a ready-made platform for developing and deploying applications, but also limits your customization options. SaaS offers you a fully managed and hosted software solution, but also reduces your visibility and ownership of the data and logic. To reduce cloud-native system architecture costs, you need to choose the right cloud service model that matches your requirements, goals, and budget.

2 Implement autoscaling and load balancing

Another way to reduce cloud-native system architecture costs is to implement autoscaling and load balancing algorithms that can adjust the amount and distribution of resources according to the demand and traffic patterns. Autoscaling is the ability to automatically add or remove instances of servers, containers, or microservices based on predefined rules or metrics. Load balancing is the ability to distribute the incoming requests or workloads among multiple instances of servers, containers, or microservices. By using autoscaling and load balancing algorithms, you can optimize the performance and availability of your cloud-native system, while also minimizing the waste and overprovisioning of resources.

3 Adopt serverless and event-driven architectures

A third way to reduce cloud-native system architecture costs is to adopt serverless and event-driven architectures that can eliminate or reduce the need for servers, containers, or microservices. Serverless architectures are based on the concept of functions as a service (FaaS), which allow you to execute small pieces of code on demand, without having to manage or provision any servers or containers. Event-driven architectures are based on the concept of events as a service (EaaS), which allow you to trigger functions or actions based on the occurrence of certain events, such as data changes, user actions, or external signals. By using serverless and event-driven architectures, you can reduce the complexity and overhead of your cloud-native system, while also paying only for the resources you actually use.

4 Apply design patterns and best practices

A fourth way to reduce cloud-native system architecture costs is to apply design patterns and best practices that can help you solve common problems and challenges in a standardized and reusable way. Design patterns are proven solutions that can address specific aspects of your cloud-native system, such as communication, coordination, configuration, caching, security, testing, monitoring, or logging. Best practices are general guidelines that can help you improve the quality, reliability, and maintainability of your cloud-native system, such as following the 12-factor app methodology, using microservices principles, implementing DevOps practices, or adopting continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipelines. By applying design patterns and best practices, you can avoid reinventing the wheel and leverage the existing knowledge and experience of the cloud-native community.

5 Use open source and low-code tools

A fifth way to reduce cloud-native system architecture costs is to use open source and low-code tools that can provide you with free or low-cost alternatives to proprietary or high-code solutions. Open source tools are software products that are developed and maintained by a community of developers and users, and that are available for anyone to use, modify, or distribute. Low-code tools are software products that allow you to create applications or systems with little or no coding, using graphical interfaces, drag-and-drop features, or predefined templates. By using open source and low-code tools, you can reduce the dependency and licensing costs of your cloud-native system, while also accelerating the development and deployment process.