Oxide Develops Virtual OXidE Labs (Voxel) for Rack-Scale Hardware Emulation

Challenge of Rack-Scale Hardware Testing

Testing and developing for rack-scale hardware presents challenges due to the scarcity and cost of physical racks. Completed racks are prioritized for customer data centers, limiting internal access for development and quality assurance. This necessitates creative solutions for the Product Assurance Team at Oxide.

Requirements for an Emulation Environment

Oxide's testing environment needs to replicate various customer networking topologies, run the actual control plane software, and test up-to-date software versions. It must also accurately represent hardware components like switches and microcontrollers. A key requirement is to achieve this without creating special 'test version' software releases, maintaining a streamlined continuous integration process.

Existing Testing Methods

Prior to Voxel, Oxide utilized 'racklettes,' which are smaller, four-sled, two-switch physical racks used for testing. These function identically to full racks but are not economically viable for sale. Oxide currently has four racklettes, with plans to expand to eight. Additionally, various simulated methods exist for running Omicron, parts of Oxide's control plane, independently or in tandem with varying degrees of simulation.

Introducing Virtual OXidE Labs (Voxel)

Virtual OXidE Labs, or Voxel, is a new solution that provides high-fidelity emulation of a full Oxide rack within a single piece of hardware. Voxel is the successor to Oxide's previous virtual labs, known as a4x2, which allowed for running racks in virtual machines. The focus of Voxel is on achieving high fidelity in its emulation.