Why is Cloud not feature complete compared to Server?

[Gregory Muir]

I could see tech difficulties like comparing desktop MS Office apps to the web counterparts. But regardless of whether we're talking Cloud or Server, we're using the same web browser to interact with either. The two applications should be impossible to tell apart. 

I just now discovered that Cloud doesn't support single column sections. We use them extensively on Server. This is a basic, simple feature. Atlassian is not going to implement it because non-functional workarounds exist. Why should it have even been dropped in the first place? 

Server vs. Cloud, shouldn't it be the same code base? Like the only thing changing is who is hosting it. But it's almost like they lost the source code for Server and are reinventing the wheel and coming up with an octagon. You can stick that on an axle and you can roll but it's just going to remind you you miss a proper wheel. 

[Robert Wen_ReleaseTEAM_]

Part of the differences is where code gets executed.  In server, you have an available resource for running any sort of coding (the server itself).  In cloud architectures, you don't have the knowledge of where in the clustered environment any sort of coding gets run.  It's a difficult problem that has extended out to Marketplace partners because many of them have had to set up their own environments to do this and provide coding stability.

Will Forge change things and make it "more like Server"?  I don't know, but I'll guess we'll find out.

[Gregory Muir]

Sounds like a real pain in the butt. I guess they're doing this because it would be more expensive to have dedicated VM's assigned to each instance and then let the hosting environment figure out that nonsense. Guess there would be a performance hit there. 

Still does not explain all the cosmetic changes. Some of those have real impact upon workflow for seemingly no benefit. 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

The Server and Cloud code bases forked years ago, with Atlassian wanting to take advantage of the two different architectures.  Entire swathes of functionality have been (re)written from scratch on Cloud.  There are things on Cloud that will never go to DC and vice-versa.

[Gregory Muir]

I wonder how far into that process they decided they were going to kill server. There's a lot of grumblies now with people seeing cloud doesn't do what they're used to. 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

The decision to kill Server came later, it was informed by a look at how well Cloud was doing in at displacing small server installs and what the take-up was when it was scaled to accommodate small/medium.   I suspect if up-take had remained flat, Server would have lasted longer!