The cloud promises infinite scale, managed services, and faster time-to-market. But many teams who rushed to adopt cloud-native patterns found themselves with systems that are harder to understand, more expensive to run, and more difficult to change than what they had before.
The right level of cloud adoption
Not every application needs Kubernetes, microservices, and event sourcing. For many B2B systems, a well-designed monolith running on Azure App Service is the right choice. The question isn't "how cloud-native can we be?" but "what architecture serves our business needs at a sustainable cost?"
Patterns that work
Based on experience with real B2B systems, here are patterns that consistently deliver value:
Managed databases
Use Azure SQL or managed PostgreSQL. Let the cloud handle backups, patching, and high availability.
Infrastructure as Code
Define your infrastructure in Bicep or Terraform. Make deployments repeatable and reviewable.
Managed identity
Stop managing connection strings. Use Azure Managed Identity to authenticate between services.
Application Insights
Instrument your application properly. Understand what's happening in production before problems arise.
Avoiding cloud lock-in
Complete vendor independence is a myth – there's always some dependency. The goal is to keep your core business logic portable. Use abstractions for cloud-specific services where it makes sense. Keep the door open without over-engineering for a migration that may never happen.
Conclusion
The cloud is a tool, not a destination. The best cloud architectures are the ones that solve real problems without introducing unnecessary complexity. Start simple, measure everything, and evolve based on actual needs.