Automated Lab Management

Introduction

Keysight’s Automated Lab Operations solution optimizes hybrid network test lab management, test bed orchestration, advanced automation, and resource utilization for state-of-the-art lab operations.

Automated Lab Operations

Keysight's Automated Lab Operations eliminates the pain and complexity of managing large infrastructures including test equipment, networking devices and inventory assets. Networked items can be shared and controlled via a user-friendly web interface allowing users to define and deploy static or dynamic testbeds. Automation can be blended in for additional flexibility.

Management and Analytics

The heart of Lab Operations is the centralized advanced management and tracking system that monitors and maintains the state of every resource and connection. Instantly add physical and virtual network elements. Add, control, and orchestrate private and public cloud instances with ease.

Benefits of a Managed Lab

Automated Lab Operations decreases your CapEx and OpEx costs by optimizing physical, virtual and hybrid resource utilization in the lab. It accelerates test automation through integrated coordination of the lab automation in your DevOps and Agile product development processes. By eliminating manual steps, avoiding human errors, and the need to physically maintain static topologies, wear, and tear on the physical connections between devices is minimized. Test process acceleration is achieved as test bed setup and teardown times are streamlined, maximizing team productivity and QA (Quality Assurance), while speeding up go-to-market release schedules.

Automated Lab Ops Advantage

• Agility – share testbeds with teams globally 

• Flexibility – use assets in more configurations

• Efficiency – maximize utilization of costly assets

• Reachability – access devices remotely and 24/7

• Automatability – automate physical test beds including the layer 1 switch interconnects, orchestration of virtual test environments and the setup/teardown configuration steps

• Cost Reduction – consolidate labs and budgets by allowing scheduled access to global lab assets

Auto-discovery of Network Resources and Links

The Lab Operations controller auto-discovers your network resources. As it detects each device, it adds the device to the inventory with its management interface and credentials. Physical and virtual network elements, as well as private and public cloud instances, can be detected using the auto-discover detector. Links between the devices are auto-detected with protocols such as link-layer discovery protocol.

Automated Lab Ops Expertise

Every lab management solution faces the risk of missing its goals and business objectives. Lab management transformations involve the proper mix of people, skills, process, and products. Keysight delivers the products and backs them with the expertise to help customers with the transformation and adoption of the new paradigm.

Keysight professional services provide delivery services for: 

• Installation of products

• Turn-up services for establishing the Automated Lab Ops solution

• Training on capabilities of the solution

• Consultation and guidance on policy best practices

• Custom automation development specific to the devices in the lab

Conclusion

Automated Lab Operations can transform a traditional test lab into a continuous test automation platform. It will facilitate the adoption of test automation, empower DevOps teams to achieve their time to market business goals, simplify and accelerate test team's setup and teardown steps, and help the organization reduce CapEx and OpEx budgets while maintaining the highest levels of quality.