Scaling Infrastructure Teams: The Increasing Need for Rust Engineers

Source: greptime.com

The Infrastructure teams have had to continuously improve current systems to make them faster, safer, and more reliable. With the growth of cloud services, the complexity of applications, and the demand for low-latency processing, engineering teams still need the best tools and languages to build these systems. The traditional languages that have been used for decades to power system-level development, i.e., C, C++, and Java, have long been the standard. But as software system complexity becomes unsustainable, the factors that limit safety, memory management, and concurrency are becoming increasingly obvious.

Because of Rust's memory safety and stronger compile-time guarantees, some of these systems-level and/or infrastructure developers are experiencing Fog, and Rust has become a significant target in the performance-safety trade-off for system-level development. Virtual bugs such as null pointer dereferences and data races, as well as costs and bugs that could lead to costly downtime and potential security vulnerabilities, are eliminated. Rust’s popularity among infrastructure teams has, in part, been reflected in the growing demand for such languages in systems-level development. A survey of 9,450 Rust developers revealed the main reasons for using Rust:

• Building correct and bug-free software (87.1%);
• High language performance (84.5%)
• Strong security features (74.8%)

How Rust Improves Infrastructure

The Rust programming language helps address performance and safety issues in system-level software projects by ensuring memory safety and preventing data races. There is a strong connection between language safety and the security of the resulting software. The Microsoft Security Response Center reports that about 70% of vulnerabilities assigned a CVE are related to memory-safety issues, such as buffer overflows and invalid memory access. Rust, unlike C, C++, and Java, helps improve compiler memory management, guaranteeing that any memory-related problems, such as memory leaks and underlying runtime issues that can be destructive to the system program, can be avoided. Rust helps development teams improve performance and enhance the security of network solutions, database applications, and cloud services.

The Rust programming language also supports system-level programming projects, alongside C and C++. The ownership system in Rust helps eliminate memory management in C and C++, thereby reducing bugs and making coding and code review easier. Compared to C and C++, Rust also offers better performance for network services in real-time applications in cloud and database systems through better control, lower-level abstractions, and no-cost placeholders (aka zero-cost abstractions). Rust is advantageous for systems programming projects where maintaining safety and performance are priorities.

Increasing Need for Rust Engineers

The need for Rust engineers has been consistently increasing for several years. Rust is a newer programming language that is in greater demand now because businesses need robust infrastructure to advance. The shortage of experienced Rust developers has driven up demand for Rust engineers in the job market. Rust engineers have higher salaries than any systemic C++ or Java developer roles.

The combination of practical experience and technical skills is what companies look for when recruiting Rust engineers. Applicants are expected to have a deep understanding of memory management, ownership models, and Rust's concurrency models. They should also understand asynchronous programming, low-level systems, and performance optimization. It is the practical experience in those areas that sets applicants apart. Advanced problem-solving skills, experience with cloud platforms, and prior engagements with open-source Rust projects stand out the most.

Some sectors are beginning to utilize Rust:

• FinTech firms consider Rust essential for building advanced systems for rapid trading and secure financial applications.
• Cloud service providers use Rust to build flexible building blocks for rapid, low-latency infrastructure.
• The Rust programming language is increasingly adopted by DevOps teams to build and automate applications that require extreme efficiency and reliability.

The fusion of demand and application has made hiring qualified Rust engineers a top, difficult challenge for infrastructure teams. Rust engineers are hard to find, and companies looking to expand quickly often turn to Rust developers for hire to maintain momentum while ensuring code meets quality and performance standards. Companies are prioritizing hiring Rust engineers to support the organization's rapid growth.

Obstacles to Scaling Infrastructure Teams Using Rust

There are a few positive outcomes of Rust's continued popularity. The most important concern is the lack of available talent. Compared to more traditional languages like C++ and Java, Rust is still relatively new. As a consequence, the pool of experienced engineers is limited. Without aggressive compensation packages, companies will find it extremely difficult to attract the talent needed to support the organization's growth.

Careful planning is essential when bringing new Rust engineers on board. Even those who have worked on system-level programming may still face a steep learning curve with Rust due to its strict rules on ownership and memory safety. To ensure new hires are productive in a reasonable timeframe and do not introduce mistakes or delays to project schedules, teams need to budget time for training, mentorship, and code reviews.

When a team expands, it is harder to maintain team efficiency and code quality. Although Rust is designed to improve code quality, it can be undermined as more engineers work on large codebases. Without code consistency, thorough pull request reviews, and up-to-date documentation, Rust’s benefits are lost, and there's still more work to be done.

Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Rust Talent

To expand their Rust teams, companies need measures to attract and retain talented engineers.

• One option is to expand the skill set of those already on the team. With the right structured training, mentorship, and guidance on real projects, engineers who have worked in C++, Go, or other system-level languages can easily transition to Rust. It is also very important to build an attractive engineering culture. You will retain Rust engineers longer if your company focuses on difficult projects, writes high-quality code, and makes it a habit to provide employees with additional professional development opportunities. In a highly competitive market, offering flexible schedules, recognizing successes, and fostering a collaborative engineering culture will attract engineering talent.
• Another way to attract Rust engineers is to get involved in open source. Many Rust developers who support open-source projects will help your company gain visibility among developers. It is good for the company to encourage employees to get involved with community projects, attend conferences, and give workshops.

Key Takeaways for Scaling Rust Infrastructure Teams

Rust’s memory safety, concurrency, and low-level control give it distinct advantages in creating high-performance systems. Because Rust is also safe, reliable, and performant, it is now critical for most infrastructure teams. As a result, there is a noticeable increase in demand for Rust talent across FinTech, Cloud Services, and DevOps.

When it comes to growing Rust-focused teams, several obstacles must be considered, including an existing talent shortage, the complexities of onboarding, and the need to consistently balance code quality and maintainability. There is some good news, though. Organizations that emphasize upskilling employees, foster an engineering-centric culture, and focus on sound engineering practices within the open source community can attract and retain engineers who are already engaged, or seeking to be engaged, in advancing progressive infrastructure development.

Engineering managers and recruiters should pay particular attention to the following: emphasizing the identification and development of talent and skills, creating an environment that attracts Rust developers, and maintaining a healthy balance between system-level strategic work and team-level work.