cloudfed

Cloudfed is a term used in cloud computing to describe systems and workflows in which data streams or content feeds are generated, stored, and distributed primarily from cloud environments, rather than on-premises infrastructure. The emphasis is on cloud-native ingestion, processing, and delivery that scales with demand.

Characteristics include elasticity, managed services, event-driven processing, API-first design, and decoupled components. Data sources may include cloud storage, SaaS APIs, and IoT devices; these push data into a cloud-based ingestion layer such as a messaging system or streaming service. Processing occurs via serverless functions, containers, or microservices that transform or enrich data before distribution. The delivery layer pushes or exposes feeds to clients through RESTful APIs, WebSockets, or content delivery networks. Storage options include data lakes, warehouses, or object stores.

Common use cases include real-time activity feeds for applications, telemetry pipelines for monitoring, software update channels, and media or document distribution. Cloudfed architectures benefit from modularity, observability, and security, with identity and access management, encryption, and compliance controls applied across services.

The term is descriptive rather than a formal standard and can refer to a family of patterns rather than a single product. It appears in industry literature to contrast cloud-hosted feeds with traditional on-premises data feeds.