Appliance virtualization is perfectly acceptable for a lot of things. But there are large sets of problems that you will never catch that way.
To the OP : With respect to 'strategies' : 1. Test something to make sure it works. 2. Then test it to see where and how it breaks. Lots of people do #1. Not enough do #2. (Looking at you, equipment vendors. ) On Thu, Sep 28, 2023 at 12:04 PM Nickolas Stevermer via NANOG < nanog@nanog.org> wrote: > If you're able to virtualize some of these appliances, almost any > virtualization platform can be setup to connect nodes together. However I > really enjoy using Eve-ng <https://www.eve-ng.net/>. It's a network > virtualization web app that can be deployed on bare metal or in a VM. It > lets you diagram, connect and configure setups and do testing with > different network nodes. What is pretty nice with this is you can then just > click on any of the connected links and wireshark pops up and you're > viewing packet captures instantly. It kind of reminds me of Cisco's VIRL, > but with maybe less overhead? It has enabled me to run and connect several > vendor appliances and build up configuration prior to acquiring the > physical hardware for deployment. > > - Nick Stevermer > > > On Thu, Sep 28, 2023 at 10:46 AM Mel Beckman <m...@beckman.org> wrote: > >> In any lab,I find concurrent access to serial ports is still an essential >> diagnostic tool. In a pinch you can get a used Cisco 2811 for $100, but >> there are multiport devices from lots of vendors. These let you SSH into >> the server and then connect to any serial port, giving you separate serial >> port windows all on the same screen. I’ve become fond of the WiFi-capable >> multiport modules from get-console.com. The ability to record logs from >> these serial ports in real-time helps a lot for documenting regression >> tests. >> >> -mel beckman >> >> > On Sep 28, 2023, at 7:25 AM, Kenneth Vedder <kved...@amplex.net> wrote: >> > >> > >> > Hello NANOG, >> > >> > We have been struggling with firmware bugs from a specific router >> vendor. I am looking to set up a test lab of our core network and a few >> remote site routers. Protocols would include SR-MPLS, ISIS, EVPN MPLS and >> L3VPN with a little OSPF sprinkled in. I'd be grateful for any tips or >> resources anyone has that might cover testing strategies and/or best >> practices. >> > >> > Thanks, >> > Ken >> > > > -- > *Nick Stevermer* > Network Engineer > Technology Department > Duluth Public Schools > 713 Portia Johnson Dr. > Duluth, MN 55811 > Phone: 218-336-8754 ext 1227 > > > > Confidentiality Notice: This E-mail message, including any attachments, is > for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential > and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or > distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please > contact the sender by reply E-mail and destroy all copies of the original > message.
