What is CNCF (Cloud Native Computing Foundation)? [2023]

CNCF stands for the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. It is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2015 to advance the adoption and development of cloud-native computing technologies. The CNCF serves as a vendor-neutral home for open-source projects and initiatives related to cloud-native computing.

The main goal of the CNCF is to promote the use of technologies and practices that enable organizations to build, deploy, and scale applications in a cloud-native manner. Cloud-native computing refers to an approach where applications are designed and developed specifically for the cloud environment, leveraging concepts such as containers, microservices, dynamic orchestration, and declarative APIs.

The CNCF fosters collaboration and community-driven innovation by hosting and supporting various open-source projects. Some of the prominent projects hosted by the CNCF include Kubernetes (container orchestration), Prometheus (monitoring and alerting), Envoy (service proxy), Fluentd (log collection), and many others. These projects provide essential building blocks and tools for building and managing cloud-native applications.

In addition to hosting projects, the CNCF also provides education, training, and certification programs to help individuals and organizations develop the skills needed for cloud-native environments. They organize events, conferences (such as KubeCon + CloudNativeCon), and working groups to bring together developers, end-users, and industry stakeholders to collaborate and advance cloud-native technologies.

The CNCF has gained significant industry support and has a large and diverse community of contributors. Its mission is to accelerate the adoption of cloud-native technologies and foster a sustainable ecosystem around them. By providing a neutral governance structure and supporting open-source projects, the CNCF plays a crucial role in shaping the future of cloud-native computing.