Co-authored by Vishwanath Jakka, Engineering Product Manager, Compute and Cloud Group

Cloud native is fast becoming the “it” destination platform for IT enterprises to better manage public, private, and on-premises cloud application workloads. But to succeed in this new world, cloud native environments must keep costs under control while also ensuring peak application performance.

Application workload management and cost control in cloud native environments are complex for enterprises to manage, hence the need for a solution with visibility, scalability, and automation to help manage it all. But the question remains, how will your organization navigate cost containment in this cloud native world without making sacrifices?

Cloud native platforms are the next generation of hybrid and multi-cloud management. Gartner analysts say that more than 85% of organizations will embrace a cloud-first principle by 2025, and they will not be able to fully execute their digital strategies without the use of cloud-native architectures and technologies.

Manage Cloud Native Cost Containment Through Automated Insights

The ongoing maintenance of a cloud native operational model is moving beyond human capabilities, but that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. The ability to optimize IT resources around automation is critical to reduce cloud operating costs and preserve capital.

Cisco’s AppDynamics discovered in a 2021 study that 85% of cloud providers struggle to quickly cut through noise to identify root causes of performance issues manually.

Cloud-native optimization includes moving away from manual configuration and embracing the core principle of DevOps and cloud-native infrastructure management, namely insights via automation. By using a solution that captures a more accurate snapshot of your cloud spend through automated insights, and recommended actions, your IT teams can better control costs.

Achieve Cost Containment through Full Stack Observability

AppDynamics also found that 96% of technologists face negative consequences of not having genuine visibility and insight into the performance of their entire technology stack, one of those consequences being out of control costs.

This bring us to our second point, the roadmap to success for all IT enterprises moving to a cloud native platform is dependent on a solution which includes clear observability to evaluate workload performance in real time and adjust based on this observability, backed by intelligent insights.

A solution with full stack observability ensures cloud-native platforms manage costs by showing a clear view of any workload inefficiencies, and easily course correcting workloads to run as efficiently as possible.

Bridge the gap between scalability, flexibility, and cost control

While adopting a cloud native model will bring you scalability and flexibility, these features add complexity which may drive up higher costs. Enterprises will have to find ways to manage the cost complexities of their cloud spend during the transition to cloud-native adoption and beyond.

Another way to keep cloud native spend under control is to use a solution that simplifies the process of provisioning, securing, scaling, and managing virtualized or bare-metal Kubernetes clusters by providing end-to-end automation, including the integration of networking, load balancers, native dashboards, and storage provider interfaces. In addition, using a service mesh to effectively manage the rapidly growing number of micro-services used by applications can address some of the complexity that impacts cost.

It’s important to note that despite the costs, leveraging deployment and life cycle management services available with Kubernetes is more sustainable over the long haul. The DIY alternative, which does help get IT teams going, is not scalable or manageable in the long run.

By 2025, Gartner also estimates that over 95% of new digital workloads
will be deployed on cloud-native platforms, up from 30% in 2021.

Your enterprise needs a unified solution with visibility, insights, and action to make high-impact changes which ultimately reduces costs. Cisco has developed solutions within the Intersight platform namely, Cisco Intersight Workload Optimizer, to help our customers better manage these cost complexities, and we continue to expand these capabilities as we see needs arise. Try Intersight Workload Optimizer free for 45 days

Managing cost containment within cloud-native operational models may seem like a journey of a thousand miles, but Cisco innovation can help you take the steps to reach your destination with confidence.

To learn more about what makes cloud adoption successful in today’s world, join us for our next #CiscoChat:

#CiscoChat Live: Empower IT success with cloud-native operations

February 3, 2022 | 10am PT

We will explore more about what exactly cloud-native means for your organization’s future, and strategies and tools for managing the complexities of multi-cloud operations that go beyond human scale, as well as how to ensure IT governance, policies, and security for cloud native operations.