TestVMvdi

TestVMvdi is a software framework designed to validate and benchmark virtual machines that use VirtualBox Disk Image (VDI) files. It provides automated test orchestration, measurement, and reporting to help developers verify the stability, performance, and compatibility of VDI-based VMs across environments.

Its core goal is to streamline regression testing for VM images by booting VMs from a specified VDI, executing a sequence of tests, and capturing results without manual intervention. TestVMvdi supports Linux and Windows host systems and relies on the VirtualBox command line interface (VBoxManage) to control guest VMs, perform snapshots, and collect metrics.

The architecture comprises a VM control layer, a test runner, a metrics collector, and a report generator. Test manifests describe the VDI, boot options, guest preparation, and the test suite. The framework runs built-in scenarios such as boot verification, file I/O, network throughput, and CPU stress, or executes user scripts inside the guest via SSH or guest additions. Results include boot time, latency, throughput, logs, and optional screenshots.

TestVMvdi is designed to be CI-friendly. A typical workflow involves writing a manifest file, provisioning a host with VirtualBox, launching the test run, and reviewing the generated report. It can export artifacts for archival baselines and supports reporting in human-readable and machine-parsable formats.

Limitations include reliance on the VirtualBox ecosystem and the VDI format, which may limit testing of non-VDI images or other hypervisors. Performance and timing can be affected by host hardware, background processes, and guest additions. Some tests require appropriate privileges and guest-level services. See also VirtualBox, VDI, virtualization testing, continuous integration for virtualization.