How Cloud Kernel Architecture Will Transform Cloud Computing Costs and Openness

Future Cloud Computing Architecture Based on Cloud Kernel

Early single‑machine operating systems used layered designs, later evolving into macro‑kernel and micro‑kernel models like Linux and Windows; cloud operating systems are expected to follow a similar evolutionary path.

Modern applications are predominantly distributed, and Kubernetes has become the de‑facto "cloud OS kernel" that will popularize cloud‑kernel designs.

In the wave of cloud‑native adoption, the traditional IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS layers are being eroded; containers running directly on bare metal already deliver high performance, making the three‑layer model increasingly irrelevant.

Programmers often think in "duck‑type" abstractions—if it swims and has wings, it’s a duck—mirroring Linux’s "everything is a file" philosophy. Consequently, a cloud OS can treat everything above the kernel as applications.

Three Waves of Cloud Computing

Applying the evolution of the web (Web 1.0 → Web 2.0 → Web 3.0) to cloud computing reveals analogous production relationships.

Web 1.0: portal sites produce content for users; Cloud 1.0: public‑cloud vendors develop services for enterprises and developers.

Web 2.0: user‑generated content creates links between users; Cloud 2.0: developers produce cloud applications for end‑users, with marketplaces attempting to connect producers and consumers.

Web 3.0: ownership returns to participants; Cloud 3.0: compute power belongs to all participants, forming a distributed super‑computer.

This progression democratizes computing and services, allowing anyone to contribute compute resources and use applications without worrying about underlying infrastructure.

Cloud Computing Will Become Cheaper with a Kernel‑Based Design

Public‑cloud pricing can be ten times higher than on‑premise IDC hardware for storage workloads, especially for smaller customers lacking enterprise discounts.

Before mature cloud‑kernel OSes, public clouds were expensive due to high software costs; open‑source ecosystems now lower software expenses, making private‑cloud deployments more affordable.

Traditional public‑cloud cost drivers include:

Layered IaaS‑PaaS‑SaaS architecture adds complexity and expense.

Marginal cost is calculated per availability zone rather than per user, requiring many management nodes and staff.

Elastic resource reservations spread overhead to consumers.

For workloads with relatively fixed resource needs, self‑hosted or managed private clouds can be significantly cheaper, especially outside promotional periods.

Cloud Computing Will Move Toward Open Source

Closed‑source cloud services lock enterprises into vendor pricing and risk service removal, which can devastate small businesses.

Open‑source solutions provide flexibility, cost control, and the ability to customize according to specific requirements, making products like Vercel, Supabase, and Sealos representative of the future direction.

Cloud Computing Will Become Simpler

Complex software either decays or must be refactored for simplicity; widespread adoption of Linux distributions shows that simplicity drives proliferation.

High cohesion within the kernel—providing lifecycle management (install, scale, upgrade, cleanup) while keeping applications loosely coupled—mirrors the design of successful operating systems.

When a Kernel‑Based Cloud OS Will Explode

Open‑source cloud services are eroding expensive, vendor‑locked public clouds.

Commercial cloud‑native services that rely heavily on open‑source projects (Kubernetes, Prometheus, Grafana) are thriving, and customers increasingly prefer open‑source stacks to avoid vendor lock‑in.

Cloud‑native adoption outpaces traditional VM‑based services.

Enterprises are migrating from VM architectures to cloud‑native ecosystems, seeking cost reduction and rapid innovation.

The market needs a cloud OS that lowers the barrier to cloud‑native adoption.

Current cloud‑native ecosystems are fragmented; a well‑designed, turnkey distribution is required to simplify deployment and management.

How to Build Such a Cloud Operating System

Key design principles:

Modularization : The system is empty until applications are installed, similar to a fresh computer with only the OS.

Free Assembly : Users install only the applications they need from a marketplace; no unnecessary components are forced upon them.

The core provides tightly‑coupled lifecycle management; the application market should adopt existing standards such as OCI registries.

User interfaces must be extremely simple: API > CLI > GUI, with a desktop‑style product as the ultimate form, making cloud usage as intuitive as using a PC OS.

Application coverage should expand in breadth (common distributed software like MySQL, Redis, message queues) and depth (installation → high‑availability → observability → self‑operation → performance/security → productization).

Sealos follows this philosophy, and Laf is its first flagship application.

Conclusion

The future cloud will be cheaper, more open, and simpler, eventually delivering a high‑quality distribution that popularizes cloud‑native computing; Sealos has been advancing toward that goal since its inception.

Cloud value will belong to all compute providers, freeing users from vendor lock‑in and delivering affordable, open‑source cloud services.