What is CNCF?
The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) is an open-source software foundation dedicated to making cloud-native computing ubiquitous. CNCF hosts a variety of projects that span different aspects of cloud-native development, including container orchestration, service mesh, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), monitoring, logging, security, and more.
CNCF Landscape:
The CNCF Landscape is a dynamic and interactive web-based tool that provides an overview of the cloud-native ecosystem. It includes information about different projects, including open-source technologies, companies, and initiatives. The Landscape is constantly evolving and is updated regularly to reflect the latest developments in the cloud-native space. The Landscape is divided into different categories, including orchestration and management, container runtimes, observability and analysis, networking and security, storage and databases, developer tools, and others
Categories of projects under CNCF Landscape:
App Definition and Development
App definition and development is a critical aspect of the cloud-native ecosystem. This area includes technologies that enable engineers to build cloud-native apps, including databases to store and retrieve data or streaming and messaging tools allowing for decoupled, choreographed architectures.
Orchestration and Management
Orchestration and management in the context of cloud-native computing refer to the processes and tools involved in running and managing containers, which are used to package and ship applications across a cluster of machines.
Kubernetes is the the most popular orchestration tool.
Runtime
The container runtime engine is the software that executes containerized applications, using container images that specify how the containerized app should look like. The container runtime is responsible for starting an app within a container and providing it with the necessary resources. Docker, containerd are most preferred runtime.
Provisioning
Provisioning refers to the allocation of a cloud's services and resources to clients, enabling organizations to set up, manage, and deploy IT resources. This process involves limiting user and system access to various IT resources while deploying applications, servers, storage, network components, and edge devices. Clients can provision a wide range of resources and services from cloud providers, facilitating the efficient utilization of IT resources and enabling organizations to scale their infrastructure based on business needs.
Ansible and Terraform are some of the popular provisioning tools available.
Observability and Analysis
Observability is essential for DevOps, enabling teams to make observability more efficient by automating the detection and resolution of errors. It also helps in identifying issues that might otherwise go unnoticed by software engineers, preventing problems before they arise by integrating AI into cloud-native logging and monitoring tools.
Checkout Prometheus and Grafana to learn more about Observability and Monitoring.
Monitoring is a specific practice that is a part of achieving observability. While monitoring focuses on watching specific metrics and capturing and displaying data, observability can discern system health by analyzing its inputs and outputs. This means that observability goes beyond monitoring by providing a more comprehensive view of a system's internal state, allowing teams to detect and resolve issues more effectively.
Tiers of projects in CNCF:
The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) organizes its projects into distinct tiers that reflect their maturity and acceptance within the cloud-native ecosystem. These tiers serve as benchmarks for understanding a project's development stage, community support, and readiness for production use:
Sandbox Projects: Positioned as the starting point within the CNCF, Sandbox Projects are experimental endeavors exploring new ideas, concepts, or technologies. They often represent early-stage initiatives seeking validation and feedback from the broader community. Although these projects may lack maturity, they offer an avenue for innovation and collaboration.
Incubating Projects: Advancing beyond the experimental phase, Incubating Projects demonstrate a strong commitment to the CNCF's vision and principles. These projects have shown promising growth potential and are actively evolving towards a more stable and sustainable state. They typically have garnered significant community interest and are undergoing refinement to address feedback and enhance their capabilities.
Graduated Projects: The pinnacle of achievement within the CNCF ecosystem, Graduated Projects have attained a level of maturity, adoption, and success that solidifies their position as integral components of cloud-native computing. These projects boast a proven track record of stability, scalability, and sustainability, making them reliable choices for enterprise-grade deployments. Graduated Projects serve as exemplars of excellence, embodying the values and standards upheld by the CNCF.
Archived Projects: An additional category within the CNCF framework, Archived Projects represent projects that have been discontinued or deprecated. These projects are no longer actively developed or maintained within the CNCF ecosystem. The reasons for archiving a project may vary, including shifts in technology trends, lack of community interest or support, or the emergence of more suitable alternatives.
Each tier encapsulates a distinct phase in the lifecycle of CNCF projects, offering developers, organizations, and end-users a framework for understanding their evolution and suitability for various use cases. As projects progress through these tiers, they contribute to the vibrant ecosystem of cloud-native technologies, driving innovation and empowering digital transformation across industries.
Summary
In summary, the CNCF landscape is a comprehensive visual representation of the cloud-native ecosystem, including a wide range of technologies involved in the cloud-native space. The landscape is constantly evolving, and new projects are being added regularly, making it an essential resource for developers and operators working in the cloud-native space.