Using CA Service Virtualization › Understanding CA Service Virtualization › Virtual Service Models

Virtual Service Models

You can conceptualize a virtual service model as a series of steps to be executed when a request is received. The steps of the VSM create and pass back a response to the request. A virtual service model is stored in a .vsm file.

A VSM must contain at least one VSE step from the Virtual Service Environment step list in DevTest Workstation to be deployable to a VSE.

After you record a service image, VSE automatically generates the protocol-specific steps in the VSM. You can modify any of the generated steps. You can also:

• Populate the responses from an Excel spreadsheet or by cross-referencing a database table and doing calculations on inputs
• Add some steps of different step types
• Manipulate the request and response steps before proceeding
• Specify the service image to use from the Response Selection step

After virtualization, a VSM must be deployed to the VSE. The VSM defines how behavior patterns get used and queries the service image to determine how to respond. The VSM knows how to navigate the service image. In general, VSMs are deployable to VSEs only, while test cases can be staged to coordinators, but not to VSEs.