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title: The Onion Analogy
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![](../img/onion.jpg)

# Cloud Stacks: The Onion Analogy

Most cloud stacks can be compared to an onion, where each layer represents an additional component or service added to address a problem in the system. However, like peeling an onion, as you dig deeper, you often find that these layers are not solving the core issues but merely masking symptoms, leading to a complex and often fragile structure.

#### 1. **The Outer Layers: Quick Fixes and Additions**
   - **Problem:** When an issue arises, such as performance bottlenecks or security vulnerabilities, organizations often add another tool, service, or layer to the cloud stack to mitigate the issue.
   - **Analogy:** This is akin to applying a bandage or taking a painkiller when you feel pain. The immediate discomfort might be alleviated, but the underlying problem remains untouched.

#### 2. **The Middle Layers: Compounded Complexity**
   - **Problem:** As more layers are added to solve different issues, the cloud stack becomes increasingly complicated. Each new layer interacts with the existing ones, often in unpredictable ways, leading to a system that is difficult to manage and troubleshoot.
   - **Analogy:** Just like adding more painkillers to treat worsening symptoms, the system becomes dependent on these layers to function. However, this doesn’t address the root cause of the issues; instead, it creates a reliance on temporary fixes that complicate the system further.
   - **Example:** Security patches or monitoring tools are added after incidents of data breaches or unauthorized access. While these layers enhance security, they do not address the underlying issue of poor security practices in the original architecture, leading to a cloud stack that is more difficult to maintain and secure.

#### 3. **The Core: Root Causes Ignored**
   - **Problem:** At the core of the onion, the fundamental issues often remain unaddressed. These could be poor initial design choices, lack of planning, or failure to align the cloud architecture with the business’s long-term needs.
   - **Analogy:** Similar to how treating only the symptoms of an illness without addressing its cause can lead to recurring issues, adding layers to a cloud stack without fixing the root problems results in a cycle of ongoing maintenance, inefficiency, and potential failure.
   - **Example:** If a cloud environment was initially set up without considering future scalability, each layer added to address scaling problems doesn’t solve the underlying issue of an inflexible architecture. As the system grows, the layers pile up, making the system more cumbersome and fragile.

### Painkiller Approach: Treating Symptoms, Not Causes

This onion-like structure represents a "painkiller approach" to cloud management, where immediate issues are addressed with quick fixes rather than tackling the underlying problems. Over time, this approach leads to several challenges:

- **Cyber Pandemic** The Cyber Pandemic is real, added these layers leads to weak security.
- **Increased Complexity:** Each new layer adds complexity, making the system harder to understand and maintain.
- **Higher Costs:** More layers often mean more resources, licenses, and management overhead, increasing operational costs.
- **Reduced Agility:** The more complex the stack, the harder it is to make changes or adapt to new requirements, reducing the system’s overall agility.
- **Fragility:** A stack built on temporary fixes is more prone to failures because the core issues are not resolved, making the system brittle.
