Cloud-native app is a term promoted by VMware to refer to apps that are installed in cloud-based virtual machines. According to VMware, cloud-native apps differ from traditional applications in several keys areas, including:
Project Lightwave and Project Photon for Cloud-Native Apps
In April 2015 VMware announced two new enterprise projects focused on securely working with cloud-native apps, Project Lightwave and Project Photon. Project Lightwave is an open-source solution that delivers identity and access management services for providing enterprise-level security for cloud-native apps.
Project Photon is a lightweight Linux operating system distribution that has been optimized for use with cloud-native applications in order to provide an enforcement layer for identity and access management through VMware vSphere and vCloud Air.
Related terms: cloud app, cloud computing and Cloud Computing Security Challenges
