OBS-03 · Observability, Testing and Automation
Benchmarks you can run again tomorrow.
Script repeatable traffic tests, collect the results, and publish a benchmark report that someone else can trust.
You build: an automated test suite that produces a benchmark report.
Promise
Script repeatable traffic tests, collect and analyze the results, and publish a benchmark report.
Prerequisites
basic networking; Python.
Units
1. Environment and method ch 01–03
test environments, methodology.
2. TRex ch 04–10
architecture, installation, configuration, stateful and stateless traffic, Python control, metrics.
3. Kitune ch 11–16
architecture, installation, test-case design, the test engine, pipelines.
4. Test suites ch 17–22
layer 2, layer 3, overlays, security devices, load balancers, NFV infrastructure.
5. Data and reporting ch 23–25
pandas, matplotlib, report generation.
6. Scale and extension ch 26–29
exception handling, distributed testing, custom scenarios with Scapy and iperf3, best practice.
7. Summary ch 30
.
Labs
Each lab names its environment and a pass check. Labs are not marked complete on "it ran" — the pass check has to hold.
| Lab | What you do | Environment |
|---|---|---|
| OBS-03ach 05–06 | TRex install and first traffic runPass check: Counters read | sim90 min |
| OBS-03bch 13 | Kitune test casePass check: Case runs and reports | sim90 min |
| OBS-03cch 18 | Layer 3 routing testPass check: Routes verified | sim90 min |
| OBS-03dch 25 | Generate a benchmark reportPass check: Report reproduced by a second run | sim60 min |
Capstone project · CAP-06
Telemetry-Driven Test Pipeline · 2 weeks
A team's network changes ship without automated performance checks.
Build a pipeline: traffic test, metrics collection, regression detection, and a promotion gate.
Deliverables: Pipeline code, a seeded-regression demo, report template.
Outcomes
- I can generate line-rate-style traffic from a script and read the counters.
- I can design a test case with a pass criterion before running it.
- I can produce a benchmark report that a second engineer can reproduce.
Also in
How it runs
Work through the units in order. Each unit groups the chapters of the study guide with its share of the labs. You can start any time; there is no cohort date and nothing expires.
Labs run in a VM, a container, a simulator or on real hardware, and the card above names which. Where a lab needs hardware — an RDMA NIC, a programmable switch model, an FPGA — there is a simulator fallback so you are never blocked by equipment.
Questions
Do I get a certificate?
You get a completion record for the course. Path badges and project credentials are earned by passing the labs and the project review, not by attendance.
Can my team take this together?
Yes — and if you would rather have it delivered live, with the instructor in the room, this course also exists as a scheduled live cohort. See the live dates.
How long does it take?
≈ 30 h of study including the labs. Most engineers take it part-time over a few weeks.