Cloudy with a chance of failover: Canonical Microcloud for distributed testing frameworks

Microcloud, developed by Canonical, offers a streamlined solution for deploying test architectures. The technology combines various off-the-shelf FOSS components, making it easy to create in-house, private high-availability clusters with live migration and automatic failover. Key features include the use of LXD for node and workload management, Ceph for distributed storage, OpenZFS for local storage, and OVN for cluster virtualization.

In the context of quality assurance and testing, Microcloud provides a platform for setting up test environments with flexibility and efficiency. Testers can leverage the technology to link multiple Ubuntu machines, ranging from three to 50, into clusters suitable for various testing scenarios. The support for x86-64 and Arm64 nodes, including Raspberry Pi kits, allows for diverse testing environments.

The technology's ability to handle live migration and automatic failover ensures continuity in testing, even in the event of hardware or software failures. The use of snaps for packaging simplifies the deployment and management of test components, contributing to an efficient testing process.

Microcloud's focus on simplicity, coupled with its integration of advanced tools like Ceph and ZFS, can enhance the overall testing experience. Test architectures can benefit from the ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and the potential for creating compelling test clusters, making Microcloud a valuable tool for QA professionals looking to optimize their testing environments.

More information on the Canonical website: https://canonical.com/microcloud