diff --git a/etc/tempest.conf.sample b/etc/tempest.conf.sample
index db6a7bd..8e0061f 100644
--- a/etc/tempest.conf.sample
+++ b/etc/tempest.conf.sample
@@ -229,6 +229,10 @@
 multi_backend_enabled = false
 backend1_name = BACKEND_1
 backend2_name = BACKEND_2
+# Protocol and vendor of volume backend to target when testing volume-types.
+# You should update to reflect those exported by configured backend driver.
+storage_protocol = iSCSI
+vendor_name = Open Source
 
 [object-storage]
 # This section contains configuration options used when executing tests
diff --git a/tempest/api/volume/admin/test_volume_types.py b/tempest/api/volume/admin/test_volume_types.py
index 4131d3e..3c4b5d8 100644
--- a/tempest/api/volume/admin/test_volume_types.py
+++ b/tempest/api/volume/admin/test_volume_types.py
@@ -55,8 +55,10 @@
             volume = {}
             vol_name = rand_name("volume-")
             vol_type_name = rand_name("volume-type-")
-            extra_specs = {"storage_protocol": "iSCSI",
-                           "vendor_name": "Open Source"}
+            proto = self.config.volume.storage_protocol
+            vendor = self.config.volume.vendor_name
+            extra_specs = {"storage_protocol": proto,
+                           "vendor_name": vendor}
             body = {}
             resp, body = self.client.create_volume_type(
                 vol_type_name,
diff --git a/tempest/config.py b/tempest/config.py
index 7196078..8795b33 100644
--- a/tempest/config.py
+++ b/tempest/config.py
@@ -330,6 +330,12 @@
     cfg.StrOpt('backend2_name',
                default='BACKEND_2',
                help="Name of the backend2 (must be declared in cinder.conf)"),
+    cfg.StrOpt('storage_protocol',
+               default='iSCSI',
+               help='Backend protocol to target when creating volume types'),
+    cfg.StrOpt('vendor_name',
+               default='Open Source',
+               help='Backend vendor to target when creating volume types'),
 ]
 
 
diff --git a/tools/install_venv_common.py b/tools/install_venv_common.py
index fd9076f..42a44e8 100644
--- a/tools/install_venv_common.py
+++ b/tools/install_venv_common.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # vim: tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
 
-# Copyright 2013 OpenStack, LLC
+# Copyright 2013 OpenStack Foundation
 # Copyright 2013 IBM Corp.
 #
 #    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
@@ -18,10 +18,15 @@
 """Provides methods needed by installation script for OpenStack development
 virtual environments.
 
+Since this script is used to bootstrap a virtualenv from the system's Python
+environment, it should be kept strictly compatible with Python 2.6.
+
 Synced in from openstack-common
 """
 
-import argparse
+from __future__ import print_function
+
+import optparse
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -39,7 +44,7 @@
         self.project = project
 
     def die(self, message, *args):
-        print >> sys.stderr, message % args
+        print(message % args, file=sys.stderr)
         sys.exit(1)
 
     def check_python_version(self):
@@ -86,20 +91,20 @@
         virtual environment.
         """
         if not os.path.isdir(self.venv):
-            print 'Creating venv...',
+            print('Creating venv...', end=' ')
             if no_site_packages:
                 self.run_command(['virtualenv', '-q', '--no-site-packages',
                                  self.venv])
             else:
                 self.run_command(['virtualenv', '-q', self.venv])
-            print 'done.'
-            print 'Installing pip in venv...',
+            print('done.')
+            print('Installing pip in venv...', end=' ')
             if not self.run_command(['tools/with_venv.sh', 'easy_install',
                                     'pip>1.0']).strip():
                 self.die("Failed to install pip.")
-            print 'done.'
+            print('done.')
         else:
-            print "venv already exists..."
+            print("venv already exists...")
             pass
 
     def pip_install(self, *args):
@@ -108,7 +113,7 @@
                          redirect_output=False)
 
     def install_dependencies(self):
-        print 'Installing dependencies with pip (this can take a while)...'
+        print('Installing dependencies with pip (this can take a while)...')
 
         # First things first, make sure our venv has the latest pip and
         # distribute.
@@ -131,12 +136,12 @@
 
     def parse_args(self, argv):
         """Parses command-line arguments."""
-        parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
-        parser.add_argument('-n', '--no-site-packages',
-                            action='store_true',
-                            help="Do not inherit packages from global Python "
-                                 "install")
-        return parser.parse_args(argv[1:])
+        parser = optparse.OptionParser()
+        parser.add_option('-n', '--no-site-packages',
+                          action='store_true',
+                          help="Do not inherit packages from global Python "
+                               "install")
+        return parser.parse_args(argv[1:])[0]
 
 
 class Distro(InstallVenv):
@@ -150,12 +155,12 @@
             return
 
         if self.check_cmd('easy_install'):
-            print 'Installing virtualenv via easy_install...',
+            print('Installing virtualenv via easy_install...', end=' ')
             if self.run_command(['easy_install', 'virtualenv']):
-                print 'Succeeded'
+                print('Succeeded')
                 return
             else:
-                print 'Failed'
+                print('Failed')
 
         self.die('ERROR: virtualenv not found.\n\n%s development'
                  ' requires virtualenv, please install it using your'
@@ -180,19 +185,16 @@
         return self.run_command_with_code(['rpm', '-q', pkg],
                                           check_exit_code=False)[1] == 0
 
-    def yum_install(self, pkg, **kwargs):
-        print "Attempting to install '%s' via yum" % pkg
-        self.run_command(['sudo', 'yum', 'install', '-y', pkg], **kwargs)
-
     def apply_patch(self, originalfile, patchfile):
-        self.run_command(['patch', originalfile, patchfile])
+        self.run_command(['patch', '-N', originalfile, patchfile],
+                         check_exit_code=False)
 
     def install_virtualenv(self):
         if self.check_cmd('virtualenv'):
             return
 
         if not self.check_pkg('python-virtualenv'):
-            self.yum_install('python-virtualenv', check_exit_code=False)
+            self.die("Please install 'python-virtualenv'.")
 
         super(Fedora, self).install_virtualenv()
 
@@ -205,12 +207,13 @@
         This can be removed when the fix is applied upstream.
 
         Nova: https://bugs.launchpad.net/nova/+bug/884915
-        Upstream: https://bitbucket.org/which_linden/eventlet/issue/89
+        Upstream: https://bitbucket.org/eventlet/eventlet/issue/89
+        RHEL: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/958868
         """
 
         # Install "patch" program if it's not there
         if not self.check_pkg('patch'):
-            self.yum_install('patch')
+            self.die("Please install 'patch'.")
 
         # Apply the eventlet patch
         self.apply_patch(os.path.join(self.venv, 'lib', self.py_version,