Ravello Systems has launched the Smart Labs networking and security platform that combines the functionality of data center labs with the elasticity of AWS and Google Cloud.
Ravello’s Smart Labs are powered by a virtual overlay cloud with software-defined networking, with support for running existing VMware and KVM virtual appliances, in a fully fenced environment, with complete layer 2 access in the public cloud. In addition, entire hypervisor labs with ESXi or KVM can be run on Ravello, creating a unique enabler for malware testing and security sandboxing.
Virtual networks created in Ravello Smart Labs can be used for training, network modeling, planning for new security services, or examining “what-if” scenarios for the installed network. Ravello’s nested virtualization technology, HVX, can run existing VMware or KVM virtual network or security appliances unmodified on AWS or Google cloud with L2 access and support for advanced functionality such as promiscuous mode, span ports, broadcast, multicast.
With access to full layer 2 networking in the cloud, Ravello also enables most existing VMware and KVM virtual appliances to run unmodified on AWS and Google Cloud. Using Ravello’s platform organizations can provision demos, proof of concept labs and test environments for their virtual appliances as well as accelerate training for the entire ecosystem ahead of a new software release.
Enterprises can also upgrade test their own production deployments when new versions of networking and security virtual appliance are released, by replicating their data center environments in the public cloud and creating their own Smart Labs on Ravello.
Ravello Smart Lab benefits include:
- Run VMware/KVM appliances: Run existing VMware and KVM virtual appliances unmodified on AWS or Google Cloud.
- Enjoy full L2 access: Ravello’s overlay networking provides clean L2 access in the cloud.
- Enable unlimited NICs, multiple public IPs per VM: Support for advanced networking features that are not natively available on AWS/Google
- Use broadcast, multicast, promiscuous mode & span ports: Create full featured deployments for security testing on the cloud
- Automatically provision isolated labs: Spin up pre-configured labs with multiple VMs using blueprints
Ravello’s networking and security Smart Labs are delivered as a service with a pay for usage pricing model. Pricing starts at $0.14 for 2 vCPU, 4 GB chunks and varies based on usage.