A modern application can either be a web or mobile application that has some distinct characteristics. Mobile applications are driven by data through APIs. They use modular architectures, are much faster than other types of applications, and are very scalable. In this article, we will be taking a deeper look into what they are and what they entail.
Modern Applications: An Overview
A modern application can include a web or mobile app, IoT application, shared services platform, microservice backend, machine learning and artificial intelligence workloads, and much more. IT organizations and software developers are building them using serverless models, low-code, agile development processes, modular patterns, and DevSecOps in mind.
A modern application is the direct opposite of older monolithic software because it is more agile, faster, resilient, portable, and scalable. A modern application is more likely to run on the cloud and its portability allows it to meet the needs of a business regardless of the cloud partner or environment they use.
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Modern applications can also withstand most causes of application downtown because they are not hosted centrally, with their agility making it easier to change and update them thus allowing them to address most consumer and technological developments.
Now that we understand what a modern application is, what are its constituent parts?
Microservices and APIs
A microservice is an architectural development practice that divides an application into smaller services. A software or application is divided into smaller and independent modules that all do one thing.
Each module communicates with all others around and outside it through an Application Programming Interface (API). Using microservices and APIs together means the application can be built modularly, and each new feature can be added on top of existing features. It also means increased reusability and eliminates the probability of a developer’s changes breaking the whole service.
Typically, there are several APIs in use at any one time, especially in instances where the APIs expose data to external parties such as in SaaS applications. In these instances, businesses work with SaaS API management companies to manage and keep an eye on their APIs to ensure everything built on them keeps working as expected.
Containers
A container is a single, standard unit of a modern application. A container contains all the code an application needs to run and can be deployed on different platforms. Packaging things like this means the development, staging, or production environment can be replicated by running the container.
Containers are different from virtual environments because the latter visualize operating systems while containers visualize hardware and environments.
DevSecOps
Modern applications need to be secure and DevSecOps is an important part of making that happen. DevSecOps is a philosophy where application security is an integral part of the development process instead of being added at the end.
DevSecOps remove the endless testing that used to happen before because developing a secure application from day one means you do not need them. The result is faster deployment or secure applications.
Modern applications are everywhere now, and they are a much better solution than what we used to have before. Their availability, resiliency, reliability, and portability make them the perfect choice for all types of businesses and users.
