A cloud-native application consists of what that can be independently scaled and automated?

The correct answer is microservices. A cloud-native application is designed using a microservices architecture, which compartmentalizes functionality into smaller, independent services. Each microservice represents a specific business capability and can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently of the others. This architecture allows for automation, efficient resource use, and the ability to respond quickly to changes or requirements.

By employing microservices, organizations can implement continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), enabling faster updates and feature releases. Furthermore, because each service operates autonomously, it simplifies scaling. If one part of the application experiences higher demand, that specific microservice can be scaled without needing to scale the entire application, thus optimizing performance and resource utilization.

In contrast, while developers and cloud providers are important for building and providing cloud-native applications, they do not encapsulate the self-scaling and automated aspects inherent to the application architecture itself. "Services" is too broad and vague a term to specifically define the conceptual foundation of a cloud-native application. It does not capture the essence of microservices' independent and automated characteristics.