Virtual lab automation
Encyclopedia
Virtual Lab Automation refers to a category of software solutions to automate IT labs using virtualization technology
. Virtual Lab
Automation (VLA) solutions are available as on-premise packaged software or as a cloud service.
acquired Akimbi in 2006. VMLogix LabManager was launched in 2006 as well; followed by a virtual lab solution on the Amazon public cloud in 2009. CloudShare
(originally named IT Structures) and Skytap introduced the first cloud-based virtual lab automation services in 2008.
Virtual lab management software is used in educational institutes and universities as well in orchestrating virtual training labs and in education IT. VMLogix is offering their management solutions at no cost to Universities worldwide.
, storage and networking infrastructure to be shared between different teams and individuals, increasing utilization and availability of resources, and reducing costs. In conjunction with resource pooling, an orchestration and provisioning process allocates and releases resources as needed.
Some solutions enable integration of virtual machine
s, physical machines, network appliances and hypervisors to reflect current enterprise setups.
Virtual machine images are the containers that enable operating system
s and applications to be isolated from physical resources. A group of virtual or physical images or that define a complete system, including network and storage characteristics, is defined as a configuration. For instance, a configuration could consist of multiple Windows Vista
client machines, an Oracle database
server and a WebSphere application server
. Configurations can be easily created by combining machines through a user interface
. A configuration is a very useful concept for QA teams because it allows a whole system to be defined and isolated in a test environment. Virtual networking enables copies of the same environment to be run in parallel and the emulation of production environments during the test process.
The ability to control the life cycle
automatically is beneficial for web based service. For example, an environment can run for two hours and than automatically be archived to disk.this reduces the costs of running the environments and allows for multiple business scenarios.
s interface.
Some products like VMLogix LabManager and Citrix LabManager has inbuilt automation capabilities which would provide out of the automation inside the VMs. In such cases, you don't need to write scripts to call these automation APIs as it can be easily done through the GUI.
.
to the system (for instance for an outsourced vendor) is usually managed through secure connections via encrypted protocols and virtual private network
ing.
Access to identical copies of configurations over the internet requires a method to authenticate traffic at the application level while guarantees it is tunneled only to the relevant environment.
Typically the lab environments are visualized over the web to demonstrated the multi-server topologies and logical relationship.
Microsoft provides virtualization capabilities through its Hyper-V technology.
X86 virtualization
In computing, x86 virtualization is the facility that allows multiple operating systems to simultaneously share x86 processor resources in a safe and efficient manner, a facility generically known as hardware virtualization...
. Virtual Lab
Virtual Lab
. is a Japanese-exclusive puzzle game for the Virtual Boy. Its working title was Chiki Chiki Labo. It is often thought of as being the worst Virtual Boy game released. It was the last Virtual Boy game released in Japan....
Automation (VLA) solutions are available as on-premise packaged software or as a cloud service.
History
Akimbi pioneered the Virtual Lab Management market with its Slingshot product. VMwareVMware
VMware, Inc. is a company providing virtualization software founded in 1998 and based in Palo Alto, California, USA. The company was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2004, and operates as a separate software subsidiary ....
acquired Akimbi in 2006. VMLogix LabManager was launched in 2006 as well; followed by a virtual lab solution on the Amazon public cloud in 2009. CloudShare
CloudShare
CloudShare is a cloud computing provider which enables users to create, replicate and share fully functional IT environments in the Cloud. The company was founded in January 2007 in Israel and is now headquartered in San Mateo, California...
(originally named IT Structures) and Skytap introduced the first cloud-based virtual lab automation services in 2008.
Solutions
Virtual labs are used for sales, testing, demos, training, development and certification of software and hardware solutions. The main potential business benefits are reduced labor and hardware costs,faster response times to customers and channels, improved testing reliability and simple access to complex configurations.Virtual lab management software is used in educational institutes and universities as well in orchestrating virtual training labs and in education IT. VMLogix is offering their management solutions at no cost to Universities worldwide.
Resource Pooling and Provisioning
Resource pooling enables processing powerClock rate
The clock rate typically refers to the frequency that a CPU is running at.For example, a crystal oscillator frequency reference typically is synonymous with a fixed sinusoidal waveform, a clock rate is that frequency reference translated by electronic circuitry into a corresponding square wave...
, storage and networking infrastructure to be shared between different teams and individuals, increasing utilization and availability of resources, and reducing costs. In conjunction with resource pooling, an orchestration and provisioning process allocates and releases resources as needed.
Complex Multi-Machine Configurations
Virtual labs are usually targeted to complex enterprise scenarios and support complex networking topologies such as multiple networks, bridging, routing and multi-tier apps.Some solutions enable integration of virtual machine
Virtual machine
A virtual machine is a "completely isolated guest operating system installation within a normal host operating system". Modern virtual machines are implemented with either software emulation or hardware virtualization or both together.-VM Definitions:A virtual machine is a software...
s, physical machines, network appliances and hypervisors to reflect current enterprise setups.
Virtual machine images are the containers that enable operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s and applications to be isolated from physical resources. A group of virtual or physical images or that define a complete system, including network and storage characteristics, is defined as a configuration. For instance, a configuration could consist of multiple Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
client machines, an Oracle database
Oracle database
The Oracle Database is an object-relational database management system produced and marketed by Oracle Corporation....
server and a WebSphere application server
WebSphere Application Server
IBM WebSphere Application Server , a software application server, is the flagship product within IBM's WebSphere brand. It was initially created by Donald Ferguson, who later became CTO of CA Technologies, and the first version launched in 1998....
. Configurations can be easily created by combining machines through a user interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
. A configuration is a very useful concept for QA teams because it allows a whole system to be defined and isolated in a test environment. Virtual networking enables copies of the same environment to be run in parallel and the emulation of production environments during the test process.
Configuration Library
A configuration library allows a team to manage and organize virtual images and configurations. Standard builds and images can be created and made available to development and QA teams to save hours of set-up time and environment configuration. Additionally, the library is used to store new configurations that are cloned or created as part of a test.Life cycle Management
The ability to suspend a complete state of a multi-machine configuration and make a snapshot (a copy at a point in time) is a major benefit of virtualization. This is especially useful for application development teams because when a bug is found a configuration snapshot to be taken at the point of failure and a link to the configuration added to a defect report. Instead of a developer spending hours to reproduce the defect, he or she can restore the configuration and start debugging the issue within minutes.The ability to control the life cycle
Life cycle
Life cycle or lifecycle may refer to: * Biological life cycle* Enterprise life cycle* Life cycle assessment* New product development* Product lifecycle , various meanings* Project life cycle...
automatically is beneficial for web based service. For example, an environment can run for two hours and than automatically be archived to disk.this reduces the costs of running the environments and allows for multiple business scenarios.
Scheduling and Reservations
Many in-house virtual lab implementations have a fixed pool of resources for teams to share. Scheduling and reservation functionality allows the resolution of resource conflicts and test environments to be reserved ahead of time.Reporting and Monitoring
Reporting modules allow users and administrators to manage usage and quotas and determine whether the system resources are being used optimally. Monitoring enables the system health to be diagnosed, including CPU utilization, storage performance and network usage.Automation API
Automating a test lab almost always involves integrating tools and test processes. An automation API enables teams to automatically create test environments as part of the build process and initiate automated test runs once a new build has been deployed. An automation API is typically made available through a web serviceWeb service
A Web service is a method of communication between two electronic devices over the web.The W3C defines a "Web service" as "a software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network". It has an interface described in a machine-processable format...
s interface.
Some products like VMLogix LabManager and Citrix LabManager has inbuilt automation capabilities which would provide out of the automation inside the VMs. In such cases, you don't need to write scripts to call these automation APIs as it can be easily done through the GUI.
Security
Security features include access and roles management, permissions and authentication. Some services allow dynamic roles assignment (for example, vendor and channel) or hierarchy (manager and employee). Since replicated guests have identical user names and passwords, those need customization for public servicesPublic services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
.
Remote Access and Visualization
Remote accessRemote access
In telecommunication, the term remote access has the following meanings:#Pertaining to communication with a data processing facility from a remote location or facility through a data link...
to the system (for instance for an outsourced vendor) is usually managed through secure connections via encrypted protocols and virtual private network
Virtual private network
A virtual private network is a network that uses primarily public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to provide remote offices or traveling users access to a central organizational network....
ing.
Access to identical copies of configurations over the internet requires a method to authenticate traffic at the application level while guarantees it is tunneled only to the relevant environment.
Typically the lab environments are visualized over the web to demonstrated the multi-server topologies and logical relationship.
Administration
Administration features often include project creation, quota management, billing, auditing and customization.Vendors
Virtual lab automation solutions are available as on-premise packaged software or as a cloud service. VMware, Surgient and VMLogix launched in 2006 to provide packaged software solutions. IT Structures and Skytap launched in 2008. and offer virtual lab automation as a cloud service. VMBed is another cloud-based service.Microsoft provides virtualization capabilities through its Hyper-V technology.