Ravello Systems Raises $26M And Launches App Cloud Capsule For Test And Development

Ravello Systems has raised $26 million for a new way to launch applications into the cloud. The funding round was led by Sequoia Capital, with Norwest Venture Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners also participating.

The company uses the metaphor of a capsule to demonstrate how its software can package apps and launch them into public cloud services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS). Ravello Systems will initially offer its “application hypervisor” service for test and development, automating the way applications get deployed to the cloud.

The capsule contains all the varying requirements needs for an app to work in a cloud environment. Multiple virtual machines can be placed in one capsule, which cuts down on the cost of deploying to a service like AWS. Instead of launching 10 separate virtual machines on AWS, the capsule may contain just two, making it cheaper to use Ravello than testing on AWS itself. The capsule can be deployed to any public cloud service.

capsule

Company executives, who include the original creators of KVM, the open-source virtualization technology, said the software has the benefits of consolidating the otherwise manual task of packaging apps to be tested in the cloud. After uploading all the virtual machines, developers use what looks like a CAD environment for drawing out the app.

ravellodrawing

Once the app is drawn out and parameters are set, the app gets deployed. The capsule can then be reused, essentially serving as a blueprint for additional apps.

This is the kind of service that can speed app development. It helps the developer and the DevOps team, which is always looking for better automation. IT retains control, which serves its own mission.

This is the kind of service you can see competing with VMware and a host of vendors such as Dell, which are seeking out ways to create a workflow that automates the process of testing and developing apps to the cloud with minimal workflow and complexity.