Hosting QGIS on a Virtual Desktop or Server in the Cloud
Quantum GIS, commonly abbreviated to QGIS, is a popular free, open-source geospatial suite highly recommended for users who deal with geographic information. The installation of this GIS software needs you to have admin rights on the computer where you want to install it. Often, you have to publish maps online, and you do not have the same machine. Taking help from the IT department to set up the software when you have fixed systems sounds feasible, but what if you need to access QGIS on a number of devices like desktops, laptops, and smartphones? In this situation, hosting QGIS on a server in the cloud or a virtual desktop can be the right solution.
What Are the other Advantages of Hosting QGIS on a Virtual Desktop?
- Private or Public cloud virtual desktop is a managed service or Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) offered by web hosting providers. This enables you to create your own virtual machine in the cloud with full admin rights, where you can run your software without impacting your personal physical servers or computers.
- QGIS serves important functions in addition to its basic purpose of allowing users to view geodata. The advanced features include editing, data analysis, and the creation of great-looking maps. The more powerful features mean the more use of physical resources. QGIS hosting on a cloud environment can ensure the required resources are always available.
- Security can be another major concern for you while using QGIS. Cloud hosting ensures none of your information is stored on the user’s machine, thereby reducing the chances of data leakages and theft. Further, with security measures such as data encryption and multi-factor authentication, you can rest assured that your data is fully protected.
- You can enjoy the familiar user experience across all your devices by using the browser of your choice from anywhere in the world. This can help you access and utilize all the features of the desktop software on your handheld devices.
- As QGIS is an open-source program, it integrates with several other GIS packages to offer extended QGIS capabilities. Where you get the features and functionality of the premium geospatial tools by adding these plugins, your system may demand a refresh. Hosting QGIS on a virtual desktop rather than upgrading your hardware saves you effort and money.
How to Host QGIS on a Server in the Cloud or a Virtual Desktop?
The process to host QGIS on a server in the cloud is not very different than it is for deploying the software on your physical machine.
- Log into your virtual desktop with logging details provided by your cloud service provider.
- Download the QGIS installation file using the browser of your choice.
- Run QGIS on your virtual desktop and follow the wizard.
- Double click the QGIS icon to launch the software.
- You can also run multiple pieces of software parallelly.
Apps4Rent Offers Multiple Solutions to Web-Enable your QGIS Software
QGIS has quickly become a viable alternative to other commercial GIS software applications. Its intuitive design, open-source nature, and abundant support options helped it gain traction. If you are looking for affordable GIS hosting services, Apps4Rent can be the right choice with a variety of virtual desktops, including Citrix virtual desktops and Microsoft Windows virtual desktop (WVD). We provide a robust and secure platform for software hosting to the QGIS community. We also offer 24/7 assistance for easy deployment of virtual desktops on our top-tier data centers and Microsoft Azure. Contact our cloud infrastructure experts today.
