IaaS allows you to significantly ease the life of a freelancer and in this article, we will tell you exactly how. Next, we look at five real-life examples of IaaS freelance programmer applications.
#1. Application Testing
Test applications need to care. Everything is simple here: if the application fails, the user will remove it, and the programmer will earn nothing. Therefore, testing software being developed is one of the most important tasks for a programmer.
Different operating systems can be installed on the computers of potential customers, and the hardware set is no less diverse. It is clear that it is not economically feasible for a freelancer to maintain a fleet of physical computers for software testing.
This is where virtual machines and the IaaS provider come to the rescue: a programmer can quickly and easily deploy the necessary test environment in the provider’s cloud. And this is not about one or two virtual machines. A software developer can create a full-fledged virtual network in which it will be possible to test, not only how software operating under control of a specific OS will work, but also how “ragtag” computers interact with each other.
For example, in “stand-alone” Windows 7 and 10, the program may work normally, and when you try to interact with programs running under Windows 7 and Windows 10, an error may occur. There are many reasons for this, and the task of the developer is not only to understand them but also to eliminate the error faster than the user will notice.
The most insidious question: why does an IaaS provider need this scheme if a freelancer can buy VMware Workstation Pro or even use a free VirtualBox to create virtual machines? The answer is simple: savings.
If the cost of virtualization software for personal use is not that high (Workstation 14 Pro costs $ 254, and VirtualBox is completely free), then the cost of hardware capable of withstanding the simultaneous operation of several dozen virtual machines is not available to everyone. Yes, and there is no need for it: after all, software testing should not always be done, but only when a new version or a new update is released. From an economic point of view, it is cheaper to deploy a virtual environment for the time it takes to complete testing than to buy hardware, which is always outdated and losing value.
#2. Development
A large customer appears we need not a single server, but a whole infrastructure. And here rescues IaaS-provider. Only, in this case, not so much money is saved as time. Deploying a physical infrastructure is time-consuming: a single programmer or even a small group simply cannot cope with this task. You can deploy the virtual infrastructure of the required configuration in a matter of minutes, not to mention the fact that it is significantly cheaper than the physical one, which requires serious financial investments.
#3. Virtual workplace
Sometimes, to fulfill a one-time order, you need high-performance “hardware”; it makes no sense to buy this from an economic point of view – you won’t earn anything. It is for this reason that it is cheaper to execute an order on the equipment of an IaaS provider.
The programmer rents the VDI (virtual workplace), execute the order and refuses the service provider – until the next order. No one forces you to rent a VDI for a long time: you can rent a workplace for exactly as long as it takes to complete an order.
#4. Virtual Machine for Travelers
Freelancer is often associated with a traveler: a man with a laptop and a view of the sea. The problem is that high-performance laptops often weigh more than 4 kilograms. It turns out that for hand luggage there will be only 6 kg, and for personal belongings – this is somehow not enough. The performance of lightweight laptops (weighing up to 2 kg) is not up to par (there are exceptions, of course, but it does not mean that such a model will suit you for a number of other characteristics). You can rent a high-performance VDI for a trip to warm countries and limit yourself to a lightweight laptop: it weighs less and is more compact, and you can take 2 kilograms of personal items.
#5. Backup, as a means of maintaining the reputation
Breaks down even the most high-quality equipment. Even if you regularly make backups, do not forget about the force majeure and force majeure — fire, flood, natural disasters of all kinds. Confused with what you did the last backup, and the laptop together with a carrier for backup was burned in the fire?
That is why it is advisable to backup in the cloud. The data center of the provider is protected much better than the home of the average freelance programmer: there is both a security system and a fire extinguishing system, not to mention more reliable hardware and automatic backup building).
We looked at five examples of using IaaS freelancers, but you know, these are not the only cases. To use IaaS or not – everyone decides for himself, but it is obvious that cloud technologies can save the finances and development time of a software product.
