Parasoft Virtualize
{{Short description|Web service development tool}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Virtualize
| logo = Parasoft Logo 2017.png
| screenshot =
| caption =
| collapsible =
| developer = Parasoft
| released = {{Start date and age|2011}}
| latest_release_version = 2024.2
| latest_release_date = {{start date|2024|12|01}}
| operating_system = Cross Platform: Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, Windows
| genre = Testing
| license = Proprietary commercial software
| website = {{URL|https://www.parasoft.com/products/virtualize}}
}}
Parasoft Virtualize is a service virtualization product that can create, deploy, and manage simulated test environments for software development and software testing purposes. These environments simulate the behavior of dependent resources that are unavailable, difficult to access, or difficult to configure for development or testing.[http://drdobbs.com/tools/229218793 Parasoft Sends In Software "Liberation" Troops] by Adrian Bridgwater, [http://www.ddj.com Dr. Dobb's Journal], February 16, 2011 It simulates the behavior of dependent resources such as mainframes, ERP systems, databases, web services, third-party information systems, or other systems that are out of direct developer/tester control.[http://www.drdobbs.com/tools/parasoft-aims-to-ease-app-testing-constr/231000051 Parasoft Aims to Ease App Testing Constraints] by Adrian Bridgwater, [http://www.ddj.com Dr. Dobb's Journal], June 20, 2011
The product is used in conjunction with hardware/OS virtualization to provide developers and testers with the resources they need to execute their development and testing tasks earlier, faster, or more completely.[http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Parasoft-Delivers-Virtualize-Platform-318178/ Parasoft Delivers Virtualize Platform] by Darryl K. Taft, [http://www.eweek.com eWeek], July 15, 2011 Its technologies for automating continuous testing are used as part of continuous delivery, continuous integration, and continuous release.[http://virtualizationreview.com/articles/2013/10/09/service-virtualization-simulated-testing.aspx Parasoft Service Virtualization Tool for Simulated Test Environments] by Darryl K. Taft, [http://virtualizationreview.com/ Virtualization Review], October 0, 2013
Background
In 2002, Parasoft released technology to "create service implementation stubs which emulate critical functionality that cannot be made available for testing.".[http://prasadjoshi.ulitzer.com/node/39569 Parasoft SOAPtest] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104190343/http://prasadjoshi.ulitzer.com/node/39569 |date=2014-01-04 }} by Prasad Joshi, [http://www.sys-con.com/ WebServices Journal], September 23, 2002 This technology was introduced in Parasoft SOAtest. Since 2002, the technology was extended with "intelligent stubs [that] emulate the behaviour of a running system, allowing the developer to test services in the context of an application's actual behaviour and not on the live running system.".[https://www.zdnet.com/article/parasoft-launches-soa-test-suite/ Parasoft launches SOA test suite] by Adrian Bridgwater, [https://www.zdnet.com/ ZDNet], October 3, 2007 In 2009, the technology was extended with "application behavior virtualization," which can "create copies of both applications and back-end systems so a developer can reference such applications or systems when developing software."[https://archive.today/20130710200158/http://sdt.bz/33948 Parasoft virtualizes apps for testing ] by Jeff Feinman, [http://www.sdtimes.com/ SD Times], November 30, 2009
The technology was extended and released as a separate product in 2011.[http://sdt.bz/content/article.aspx?ArticleID=35294&page=1 Parasoft creates test environment for transactions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104140215/http://sdt.bz/content/article.aspx?ArticleID=35294&page=1 |date=2014-01-04 }} by Victoria Reitano, [http://www.sdtimes.com/ SD Times], February 18, 2011
Parasoft created a free community edition in 2017 that allows individual users and small projects to use service virtualization at no cost.[https://www.parasoft.com/press/parasoft-releases-new-service-virtualization-community-edition/ Parasoft Releases New FREE Service Virtualization Community Edition]