Automation plays a prominent role in IT-based development projects. It helps in consistent deployment and integration for expediting their time-to-market. However, state-of-the-art automation equipment such as software and test tools are often inaccessible.
A robust solution to overcome this scenario is to set up an automated, self-service, and on-demand environment for your IT lab. With virtual lab automation, you can automate your systems and establish a secure remote workplace.
What is an IT Lab?
An IT lab is a data center primarily designed for pre-production activities, on the lines of Dev/Test labs, and network test labs. Many service providers and tech giants invest significantly in IT labs well-equipped with servers and networking equipment.
Lab-as-a-Service (LaaS)
With this “as-a-service,” you can transform your lab into a cloud. It can take your lab to the virtual environment with four vital features. They are automation, self-service, multiple-tenant, and scalability. Once you implement and realize LaaS with infrastructure orchestration, moving to the cloud becomes seamless.
Working Principles
Initially, an architect designs network blueprints with the support of a robust web-based tool that instigates automation. They need to select suitable resources from the lab stock supply along with integrated networking. The blueprints involve elements like hardware, software tools, networking, and cloud resources. They enable end-users to access IT resources remotely. These blueprints, incorporated into a self-service catalog of the lab environment draft are deployed on demand basis by the end-users.
Next, the realization phase includes the technicalities of the self-service, on-demand, automated fulfillment of IT demands with racking, and patching.
LaaS helps in automating the IT lab by dynamically configuring all necessary resources and automating the network connectivity. With regular network health checks and software upgrades, a virtual lab environment aids in establishing an efficient remote workplace.
After the successful installation of a LaaS platform, you can right away access protocols and interfaces like SSH and API. Also, the in-built automation permits you to save and restore the virtual lab environment, in line with your work requirements. Regulating software version settings and network configuration in real-time is feasible, eliminating the need for caching the network configuration settings for restoration.
Fundamental Features
The initial blueprints, followed by the final complex and automated infrastructure, include hardware, software, cloud, and virtual network modules.
Automating IT labs enables a robust power control for lights out operations, and the self-service catalog aids in the interactive deployment of sandboxes.
Further, automation allows the on-demand setup and teardown of sandboxes.
The layered network framework helps to track and manage infrastructure utilization, even at the port level. Moreover, the virtual automated labs and data-centers are accessible round the clock.
Automation Reuse
The diligent reuse of automation enhances ROI. It maximizes the test equipment utilization, providing cloud-based access to users. Meticulous designing and modeling of automated virtual labs are vital in this regard. It is practical to involve a few team members to develop the lab environment blueprint. It enables other remote workers to use the virtual lab more effectively.
Automating IT labs offer better insights, allowing you to utilize smart web-based dashboards for easy scheduling. Make use of such efficient virtual IT labs, if you are looking forward to work from a remote location.
