Cloud Development Environment Glossary
A-Z reference guide to CDE terminology, platform engineering, and remote development concepts
A
Auto-stop
An automated feature that shuts down idle workspaces after a specified period of inactivity to save cloud compute costs. Common in CDEs like Coder and GitHub Codespaces.
B
Base Image
The foundational Docker image or VM image used to create workspaces. Contains the operating system and core tools that all developers in a team will use.
Buildpack
A tool that automatically detects application dependencies and builds a container image without requiring a Dockerfile. Used by platforms like Heroku and Cloud Native Buildpacks.
C
CDE (Cloud Development Environment)
A remote workspace that runs in the cloud instead of on a developer's local machine. Provides pre-configured environments accessible via VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, or web browsers.
Cluster
A group of connected servers (nodes) that work together, typically in Kubernetes. CDEs often run as pods within a Kubernetes cluster.
D
Daytona
An open-source CDE platform focused on developer experience. Supports multiple IDE connections and infrastructure providers.
DevContainer
A Docker container specifically configured for development work. Defined by a devcontainer.json file that specifies tools, extensions, and settings for a consistent dev environment.
devcontainer.json
A configuration file that defines a development container's specifications, including base image, VS Code extensions, port forwarding, and post-creation commands.
DevPod
An open-source desktop application that creates reproducible development environments across different providers (Kubernetes, Docker, cloud VMs) with a unified interface.
DLP (Data Loss Prevention)
Security measures that prevent sensitive data from leaving an organization's control. CDEs help with DLP by keeping source code in the cloud rather than on local laptops.
Dockerfile
A text file containing instructions to build a Docker image. Defines the base OS, installed packages, environment variables, and commands needed to set up a container.
E
Eclipse Che
An open-source Kubernetes-native IDE and CDE platform. Provides browser-based workspaces and supports multiple programming languages and frameworks.
F
G
GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation - European Union regulation governing data privacy and protection. CDEs help with GDPR compliance by controlling data residency and access.
GitHub Codespaces
GitHub's managed CDE service. Provides instant, cloud-based VS Code environments with seamless GitHub integration. Runs as containers on Azure infrastructure.
Gitpod
A container-based CDE platform available as SaaS or self-hosted. Known for its fast prebuild system and tight Git integration for automated workspace creation from repositories.
Google Cloud Workstations
Google Cloud's managed CDE service. Provides fully managed development environments with security features like VPC Service Controls and integration with Google Cloud services.
H
HIPAA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act - US regulation for protecting sensitive patient health information. CDEs help healthcare organizations maintain HIPAA compliance.
I
IaC (Infrastructure as Code)
The practice of managing infrastructure through code files rather than manual configuration. Terraform is the primary IaC tool used by CDEs like Coder.
J
JetBrains Gateway
A lightweight launcher that connects JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, GoLand) to remote development environments. Allows developers to use their preferred IDE with cloud workspaces.
K
L
Local Development
Traditional development approach where code runs directly on a developer's laptop or workstation, as opposed to cloud-based development environments.
M
Microsoft Dev Box
Microsoft's cloud-based workstation service. Provides Windows-based development environments with full GUI access, ideal for .NET and Windows development.
mTLS (Mutual TLS)
A security protocol where both client and server authenticate each other using certificates. Used in CDEs to secure connections between developer machines and workspaces.
N
Namespace
A logical partition within a Kubernetes cluster that provides resource isolation. CDEs often create workspaces within specific namespaces for organization and security.
O
P
PCI DSS
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard - security requirements for organizations handling credit card data. CDEs help maintain PCI DSS compliance through access controls and audit logging.
Platform Engineering
The discipline of building and maintaining internal developer platforms. Platform engineers typically manage CDE infrastructure, templates, and developer tooling.
Pod
The smallest deployable unit in Kubernetes - one or more containers that share storage and network resources. Container-based CDEs typically run as Kubernetes pods.
Prebuild
A pre-configured workspace image that's built ahead of time. Allows developers to start working instantly without waiting for dependencies to install.
R
Remote Development
Development approach where code runs on a remote machine (cloud or server) while the developer's local IDE connects to it. Core concept behind CDEs.
Resource Quota
Limits on CPU, memory, and storage that can be consumed by workspaces. Platform engineers set quotas to control costs and ensure fair resource distribution.
S
SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language)
A standard for exchanging authentication data between identity providers and service providers. Used for enterprise single sign-on with CDEs.
SCIM (System for Cross-domain Identity Management)
A standard for automating user provisioning and deprovisioning. Allows CDEs to automatically create/remove workspaces when users join/leave the organization.
Self-Hosted
CDE platforms that run on your own infrastructure rather than as a managed service. Examples include Coder, self-hosted Gitpod, and Eclipse Che. Preferred for compliance requirements.
SOC 2 Type II
A security compliance framework that verifies a service organization's controls over a period of time. Common requirement for enterprise CDE adoption.
SSH (Secure Shell)
A cryptographic network protocol for secure remote access to computers. The underlying protocol used by VS Code Remote SSH and most CDE connections.
T
Template
A pre-configured workspace specification that defines CPU, RAM, installed tools, and environment settings. Developers select templates to create standardized workspaces.
Terraform
An infrastructure-as-code tool by HashiCorp. Used by platforms like Coder to define workspace infrastructure across any cloud provider (AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes).
TTL (Time to Live)
The maximum lifetime of a workspace before it's automatically destroyed. Helps control costs by preventing abandoned workspaces from running indefinitely.
V
VM-Based CDE
Cloud development environments that use full virtual machines instead of containers. Provides more OS flexibility and supports GUI applications. Examples: Microsoft Dev Box, Coder VMs.
VPC (Virtual Private Cloud)
An isolated network within a cloud provider where workspaces can run securely. Self-hosted CDEs typically run within an organization's VPC for data security and compliance.
VS Code Remote SSH
A VS Code extension that allows developers to connect their local VS Code editor to a remote machine via SSH. The most popular way to connect to cloud workspaces.
W
Web IDE
A browser-based code editor (like code-server, Eclipse Theia) that provides a full IDE experience without installing software locally. Common in CDEs for quick access.