Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing precise timing in virtual data network or storage network test environment

1. A method for providing precise timing in a virtual network test environment, the method comprising:

providing at least first and second peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators, each including a timing source;

synchronizing the timing sources of the first and second peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators with each other;

connecting the first and second peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators to a peripheral interface of first and second computing platforms, respectively, hosting a hypervisor on which at least one test virtual machine or application under test virtual machine executes;

making the synchronized timing sources available to the at least one test virtual machine or application under test virtual machine;

synchronizing system clocks in the first and second computing platforms with each other by synchronizing the system clock of the first computing platform with the timing source of the first peripheral device or peripheral device emulator and synchronizing the system clock of the second computing platform with the timing source of the second peripheral device or peripheral device emulator; and

executing a test and using the synchronized timing sources to provide precise timing for the test,

wherein providing at least two peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators includes providing at least two universal serial bus (USB) devices that include an internal clock accessible by the hypervisor when connected to the at least one computing platform.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least two USB devices include a synchronization module for synchronizing its internal clock with internal clocks of other USB devices.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein providing at least two peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators includes providing at least one keyboard emulator including an internal clock that is accessible by the hypervisor.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one keyboard emulator includes a synchronization module for synchronizing its internal clock with internal clocks of other keyboard emulators.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing at least two peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators includes providing at least one network interface card emulator that includes an internal clock accessible by the hypervisor.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the test produces a timing metric associated with the at least one application under test virtual machine.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one application under test virtual machine performs a function associated with a data network or a storage network.

8. A system for providing precise timing in a virtual network test environment, the system comprising:

at least one test virtual machine or application under test virtual machine for executing a test;

at least first and second peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators that include a timing source, wherein the at least first and second peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators are configured to connect to a peripheral interface of first and second computing platforms, respectively, hosting a hypervisor on which the at least one test virtual machine or application under test virtual machine executes, wherein each timing source is mapped to a respective virtual machine; and

at least one timing synchronization module for synchronizing the timing sources of the peripheral device or peripheral device emulators with each other;

wherein system clocks in the first and second computing platforms are synchronized with each other by synchronizing the system clock of the first computing platform with the timing source of the first peripheral device or peripheral device emulator and synchronizing the system clock of the second computing platform with the timing source of the second peripheral device or peripheral device emulator

wherein the at least one test virtual machine or application under test virtual machine executes the test and uses the synchronized timing sources to provide precise timing for the test, and

wherein the at least two peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators comprise at least two universal serial bus (USB) devices that include an internal clock accessible by the hypervisor when connected to the computing platform.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least two USB devices comprise a synchronization module for synchronizing its internal clock with internal clocks of other USB drives.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least two peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators comprise at least one keyboard emulator including an internal clock that is accessible by the hypervisor.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the at least one keyboard emulator comprises a synchronization module for synchronizing its internal clock with internal clocks of other keyboard emulators.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators comprise at least one network interface card emulator that includes an internal clock accessible by the hypervisor.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the test produces a timing metric associated with the at least one application under test virtual machine.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one application under test virtual machine performs a function associated with a data network or a storage network.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

synchronizing a timing source of at least first and second peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators;

initializing the synchronized timing source provided by first and second peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators which are connected to a peripheral interface of first and second computing platforms;

making the synchronized timing source available to at least one test virtual machine or application under test virtual machine;

synchronizing system clocks in the first and second computing platforms with each other by synchronizing the system clock of the first computing platform with the timing source of the first peripheral device or peripheral device emulator and synchronizing the system clock of the second computing platform with the timing source of the second peripheral device or peripheral device emulator;

executing a test using the test virtual machine to test data network or storage network equipment; and

during the test, accessing the synchronized timing source to provide precise timing for the test,

wherein the at least two peripheral devices or peripheral device emulators comprise at least two universal serial bus (USB) devices that include an internal clock accessible by the hypervisor when connected to the computing platform.