Re: Exeter testing, next steps

[Stefano Brivio <sbrivio@redhat.com>]

On Thu, 14 Aug 2025 14:57:43 +1000
David Gibson <david@gibson.dropbear.id.au> wrote:

> On Wed, Aug 13, 2025 at 08:04:23PM +0200, Stefano Brivio wrote:
> > On Wed, 6 Aug 2025 11:11:24 +1000
> > David Gibson <david@gibson.dropbear.id.au> wrote:
> >   
> > > On Tue, Aug 05, 2025 at 09:52:41AM +0200, Stefano Brivio wrote:  
> > > >  
> > > > > If we can start introducing some exeter tests, the next step would be
> > > > > to work on the support library stuff for constructing more complex
> > > > > network environments from namespaces.  I have draft series with this
> > > > > as well, but I was looking at splitting it into another mini-project
> > > > > (tentative name "sinte" - Simulated Inter Network Test Environment).    
> > > > 
> > > > Neat! That sounds like the juicy part and surely one part we really
> > > > miss at this point. I would go as far as proposing PESTO (playground
> > > > environment simplifies test orchestration / spurs test opportunities)
> > > > but "sinte" sounds good to me as well.    
> > > 
> > > I kind of love the "pesto" acronym, but the proposed expansions don't
> > > quite work for me though: they don't say anything specifically about
> > > networking, and it's really not about test orchestration - this is
> > > about how to write a single test.  
> > 
> > I couldn't come up with much better (and didn't get to actually review
> > the patches) yet, but I just wanted to quickly mention that by
> > "orchestration" I was referring to juggling namespaces and virtual
> > machines (at some point...?) with virtual links around, within a single
> > test.  
> 
> That makes sense, but I don't think that meaning is obvious within the
> name alone.
> 
> > And maybe at some point networking could be marginal in the whole thing.  
> 
> Hm.  Maybe.  At this point handling network environments and
> specifically *inter* network environments is really my focus though.
> 
> > > The infuriating thing is I'm pretty sure I came up with a much better
> > > tentative name months ago, and then forgot it.  
> > 
> > I know you meant it for something else, but I'm wondering if you're
> > referring to NUDEL perhaps.  
> 
> No, I think I had a tentative name specifically for this network
> simulation thingy.  *brainstorms*
> 
> One idea I had was
> 
> "instead" - Inter Network Simulated Test Environment <something
> something>.  "with Arbitary Devices" maybe?  

averts disaster?

and description? deployment?

> That might be the one I'm thinking of, but I think I had one I liked
> better.
> 
> Had a chat with Gemini and came up with a handful more options:
> 
> "mimic" - Multi-host Inter-network Mock Infrastructure Construct
> 
> "isthmus" - Inter-network Simulation & Test Harness for Multiple
> Underlying Systems
> 
> "ross" - "Routing & Orchestration Simulation System"
> 
> Or, maybe..
> 
> "tunbridge" - <backronym pending>
> 
> Tunbridge (like Exeter) is a town in Tasmania, and a bridge of tun
> devices would likely be a common construct to build with it (though
> not as common as a bridge of veths, admittedly).

It might be a bit confusing, but I think it's worth the pun.

Or... if you want to stick to pasta that doesn't stick, I could propose
"aldente", arbitrary layers deliver effective network testing
environments.

It's two words (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/al_dente) actually (and
"to" + il "the" -> al), but... Alfresco already broke the taboo for us?

-- 
Stefano