LocalStack is a framework that allows developers to test their cloud application without going through a cloud environment.
That is right — cloud without the cloud! How does it work, and what are the benefits and features this framework offers? We are giving you 5 minutes of reading to get the answers.
The LocalStack framework makes it possible to develop and test a cloud application, with the particularity of doing it all offline!
How so?
LocalStack creates a test environment locally on your computer. The settings of that environment include the same features as those found in a cloud environment.
All the changes made during the development of the application are automatically sent and tested on an integration server. So you no longer need to upload snippets of code to run tests online. LocalStack takes care of that for you. Once all your tests have been run, checked and validated, you can deploy your application in a real cloud environment. No more bugs when going live!
But first…
To use the LocalStack framework, you first need to be comfortable with certain programming languages. You will need Python version 2 or 3, the Pip package manager used to install and manage packages written in Python, and finally the Docker tool.
It is worth knowing that three versions of LocalStack exist: an open source “base edition”, a paid “Pro edition” and an “enterprise edition”.
What can you do with LocalStack?
LocalStack allows you to inject the kinds of errors that are common in a cloud environment.
Thanks to isolated processes, all of the framework’s services run independently, which encourages decoupling in order to stay as close as possible to the cloud environment as we know it.
What is more, all the services can be plugged in and swapped out, since they are isolated. That makes for easier maintenance.
The benefits of LocalStack
Several benefits follow from this framework, including some you would not think of straight away. First of all, and certainly the most obvious, is lower costs, since there is no longer any need to set up cloud infrastructure.
Working offline also makes it possible to avoid errors in the cloud when deploying the application. Higher-quality work therefore becomes possible.
Then there is the reduction in production lead times, since there is no longer any need to spend time managing permissions.
Easy installation!
First, install LocalStack under a local user with the command:
pip install localstack
With this command, you can start LocalStack. By default it will run in a Docker container:
localstack start
Several configuration options are then possible, depending on your needs of course!
LocalStack is the new technique for developing cloud applications that are more reliable, better performing and more secure.
If you enjoyed this article, do take a look at our Framework section.
