Virtualization of complex networked embedded systems

A data processing device including a storage storing instructions that are configured to perform a method for virtualizing a testing and verification platform of an in-flight entertainment and communications system, the method comprising:

• receiving simulated hardware component definitions corresponding to physical hardware components of a plurality of networked computing resources, and network connection definitions corresponding to physical network links of the plurality of networked computing resources;
• instantiating a plurality of virtual machine images each with a hardware abstraction layer based upon the simulated hardware component definitions, performance parameters of the virtual machine images matching performance parameters of the corresponding one of the plurality of networked computing resources;
• establishing one or more virtual network connections between the virtual machine images based upon the network connection definitions, at least one of the one or more network connection definitions are matched with network performance parameters of the corresponding one of the physical network links;
• deploying one or more target software applications to one or more of the instantiated plurality of virtual machine images;
• initiating execution of the one or more target software applications on the respective virtual machine images;
• and
• routing outputs from the execution of the one or more target software applications to corresponding one or more virtual output displays connected to the virtual machine images.