Cloud Native Transformation

Prologue: Evolve or Else

Cloud native is more than just a technology or tool set. It is a philosophical approach for building applications that take full advantage of cloud computing. This new paradigm requires not only embracing new technology, but also a new way of working—which makes going cloud native an extensive undertaking. The payoff is immense, but in order to reach it an organization must evolve not just its tech stack but also its culture and processes.

The story of WealthGrid, a typical enterprise undergoing a cloud native transformation, illustrates this process from start to finish. First, we will look at the factors inspiring WealthGrid’s decision to pursue a cloud migration. Then, as we follow WealthGrid’s migration path, we will witness the problems it encounters along the way—ones that are commonly experienced during the transformation in companies both large and small. Ultimately, we will see how to use patterns to overcome—or even better, prevent—those problems.

Welcome to WealthGrid!

Meet the organizational protagonist of our cloud native transformation tale: WealthGrid, a mid-size financial services company. WealthGrid is a fictional composite of real-world companies we have worked with over the past few years, when we were called in as consultants to facilitate new cloud migrations—or to rescue failing ones. We created this composite in part because we must maintain our clients’ confidentiality, but also so we can illustrate the most common problems companies ...