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Cloud native Buildpacks?

In the world of cloud computing, two different methods of deploying applications are becoming increasingly popular: Docker and Cloud Native Buildpacks. Both are great options, but each has its unique advantages and disadvantages.
I think every Java developer remembers the famous words: ‘Make JAR, not WAR!’, said in a talk by Josh Long back in 2015, in which he explained how you can create a Spring Boot app and how you want to package and distribute your artifact.

As we witness the seemingly unstoppable rise of cloud native production environments, this quote becomes a bit more irrelevant each day. In this new world, an image is the new artifact that you would deliver to your clients!

Instead, we should start to say ‘Make container, not JAR!’. Sorry, Josh…

Let’s dive into how we can create production artifacts!

Docker
Docker is an open-source platform that provides a way to package applications and services into containers. Containers are isolated and portable, which makes them an ideal choice for deploying applications in a variety of environments without having to worry about system dependencies. Docker is easy to set up and use, and it has a wide range of features that make it an attractive option for developers and system administrators.

The pain of using Dockerfiles for your artifacts lies in the need to maintain them all through your projects. Upgrading them when you’re starting with a newer framework, keeping up to date with Java SDK versions, and needing to implement all the best practices yourself!

So how can we avoid this extra work? Enter the world of Buildpacks.