Tackling Your Next Network Integration Project with Emulation Cloud

Home improvement projects can be daunting. Any time you walk into a hardware store, you see countless potential projects – flooring, plumbing, electrical…the list goes on. And for every project, there seems to be just as many tools – power tools, wrenches, hammers, pliers. But knowing which tools to use for which project and how to use them to get the job done isn’t always easy – talk about getting out of your comfort zone. But luckily, the home improvement stores know that not everyone is an expert hardwood floor and tile installer, so they offer workshops and sessions where consumers have access to tools and materials to learn how to do big projects in a safe, controlled environment.

What about network integration projects? They can be even more challenging, but having the tools and know-how to get the job done isn’t always straightforward. What if you had access to the right tools and the right information to get ramped up on your network integration project quickly? Ciena’s Emulation Cloud does just that. It offers access to Ciena’s hardware and software product-based REST APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) along with information and tools to help get you started.

Emulation Cloud is an open application development environment, designed to unlock the full potential of open APIs, with a portal that enables testing and fine-tuning of customized applications in a completely virtual environment. For a developer creating new tools, Emulation Cloud is a one-stop shop containing the tools and information to get new projects started quickly. Emulation Cloud can be used for learning, so you can familiarize yourself with Ciena’s open APIs, or it can be used as an environment for integration activity. Since it is hosted in the cloud, it opens an environment for 3rd party developers and integrators to access the APIs without having to worry about the logistics of securing VPN access or scheduling accessibility to the customer’s physical lab.

Since it is hosted in the cloud, it opens an environment for 3rd party developers and integrators to access the APIs without having to worry about the logistics of securing VPN access or scheduling accessibility to the customer’s physical lab.

A learning environment

Emulation Cloud contains the information and tools you need to learn about Ciena’s open APIs. Much like a hardware store full of tools, Emulation Cloud gives users access to an abundance of information, including:

• Tutorial videos introducing the Emulation Cloud site
• Links to download raw YANG files
• API documentation
• Sample code

And like the hardware store, where you can walk up to a subject matter expert and ask detailed questions about your home improvement project, within Emulation Cloud you’ll have access to other users in the open forums or a direct line to the Ciena SMEs and developers to get answers to specific questions for your project.

Once you’re up to speed on the API files and documentation, you may prefer to try out calls to the APIs to see how they work. Emulation Cloud houses a virtual lab, where you can access Ciena’s open APIs running on virtual network elements and software platforms. It offers a fully integrated Swagger interface, giving you a simple-to-use, GUI-based way to see the APIs and test them out. Alternatively, users can link into the lab to test out the APIs through other developer platforms, such as Postman.

This enhances the learning process by giving you the opportunity to get your hands dirty and try out calls against the APIs to see how they work and what the responses are to different variables or calls.

A place for integration

The virtual lab within Emulation Cloud isn’t just a learning tool, however. Once you’re up to speed on the APIs, it is time to move on to bigger projects, such as integration testing. Emulation Cloud can help in this area too. You can book lab time to test against Ciena’s hardware and software platforms, including: 

• Waveserver
• 6500
• Blue Planet MCP

Once the virtual lab is configured and the environment is running, Emulation Cloud exposes the Websocket URLs and a proxied REST URL to the hardware or software APIs that are running in the cloud. So, if you are trying to integrate Waveserver into an existing back-office platform or application, you can use the supplied links to connect your application to the virtual network elements, and the APIs will behave just as they would on an actual Waveserver in a real network.

While it can’t help you retile your bathroom floor, it can accelerate DevOps and web-scale IT integration.

Get your project started now

Emulation Cloud gives users access to tools and materials to learn how to tackle big projects in an online, virtual, and controlled environment. Much like a modern hardware store that provides both tools and information on how to use them, Emulation Cloud gives you the tools and information you need to test and fine-tune applications and scripts in the cloud. While it can’t help you retile your bathroom floor, it can accelerate DevOps and web-scale IT integration. And it encourages innovation through experimentation and testing—all from the safety of a virtual, cloud environment.

Sign up today – it’s free to join.