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Cloud-Native & Runtime Topology

Overview​

Cloud-native architecture represents a fundamental shift in how we build, deploy, and operate applications at scale. This section covers the entire spectrum of modern runtime environments, from virtual machines to containers to serverless functions, and the orchestration, networking, and topology patterns that tie them together.

What You'll Learn​

This section is organized into five core domains:

  1. Compute Models – Virtual machines, containers, and serverless/FaaS platforms; trade-offs in resource isolation, cold start, and operational complexity.

  2. Orchestration – How systems discover, schedule, and route traffic between workloads; autoscaling policies; management of stateful workloads.

  3. Networking – Load balancing at layers 4 and 7, network policies, mutual TLS, and content delivery networks.

  4. Topologies – Single-region multi-zone deployments, multi-region active-active and active-passive patterns, and disaster recovery strategies.

  5. Platform Concerns – Image and artifact management, supply-chain security (SBOM, signing), cost controls, and quotas.

Key Design Questions​

  • Which compute model (VM, container, serverless) best fits your workload profile?
  • How do you orchestrate and schedule workloads across dynamic infrastructure?
  • What networking and service-discovery patterns reduce latency and operational complexity?
  • How do you architect for availability across zones and regions?
  • What security, cost, and artifact management practices anchor production systems?