Cloud computing removes concerns about hardware, allowing Java developers to focus solely on their software.. In this article, we’ll talk about five reasons why you should employ a specific cloud computing model, the  Platform-as-a-Service, for your Java application.

1 Less complexity

The first point is undoubtedly about reducing complexity within your Java architecture. Container configuration, network configuration, database, and so on. The complexity of operations also means a higher risk in a business. When using a PaaS, such as Platform.sh, all this responsibility and complexity goes to the vendor, that is, in addition to spending less time on configuration and reducing operations, it can include reducing the risk of problems on the part of activities.

2 Easy to maintain

Creating a project is essential. However, it is also necessary to ensure its maintainability. Using PaaS, for example, Platform.sh, the entire operation is reduced, facilitating the longevity of an application. It uses the concept of infrastructure-as-code so that all the needs of an app, like which version of Java to use, will go into that file. Thus, it is possible to have an environment for testing, staging, production for those branches. This approach canfor example, allow you to update to a newer version of the JVM on a dedicated branch.  Thus, it is possible to have a branch for testing, staging, production without impacting each other. It is helpful, for instance, to upgrade and check if the application is compatible with the newest Java version without affecting production. You can create a branch, test and finally merge to your production branch.

3 Services are ready to use in a push of distance

Applications  use external services – for example, a database, cache, message broker, etc. Consequently, it needs more complexity. Most PaaS brings integrated services as  Platform.sh does. It has several supported services, and to add it in your project, appended it in a service file. As soon as this change has been sent remotely,  the service will be available for use.

4 Backups

Arguably, databases tend to be a supercritical point in many applications. One way to ensure the “application’s soul” is certainly through backups. Platform.sh provides both manual and automatic backup processes from different points of the application.

5 Security

Ensuring that the right application has access to the service it needs is one of the important points for safety. For example, it does not make sense for a marketing application to have access to a financial sector database. This same logic also applies in the age of microservices – not all applications need to be visibly public or accessible for other applications. This whole point of visibility between services and applications is guaranteed by Platform.sh. To access a database, the application needs configuration credentials such as user and password. As we learned from The Twelve-Factor App, this information should not remain directly within the code, in fact, this information does not need to be known to the developer and only to the application itself.

Platform.sh makes all credentials available at runtime so that they can be overwritten transparently in frameworks such as Spring, Quarkus, Micronaut, and Eclipse MicroProfile that have such configuration and override features.

Indeed, cloud computing brought several benefits and facilities to the world of software architecture. These facilities tend to grow even more, mainly, to reduce the complexity and the risk in your Java application. Using a PaaS such as Platform.sh you can get more focus on the development instead of operations and leaving all these risks and complexities  in the past.
Platform.sh wants to work even closer to the Java community that is why we have this survey to understand and help you to move your application to the cloud.