Virtual laboratories allow remote access to multiple single-user computer systems
A donation of nearly $185,000 in hardware, software and services has helped the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management create a pilot for the next generation of virtual laboratory which enable students to complete course specific homework from anywhere, at anytime with a broadband connection.
Coined VLAB, virtual laboratories allow remote access to multiple single-user computer systems, remote access to one or more multi-user computer systems and remote access to multiple virtual machines hosted within one or more physical servers.
“A virtual lab lets you connect to a system anytime you want,” said Alex Seazzu, director, UNM Center for Information Assurance Research and Education (CIARE). “It allows students to connect to a remote system and complete their homework anytime. This is particularly useful when the software required for the assignments must be purchased and managed by the school.”
The existing Virtual Computing Lab (VLAB) is available to Anderson students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and leverages Microsoft’s Remote Desktop technology to access services. It can support up to 42 students at any one time with sessions that last up to two hours.
Seazzu says the existing server infrastructure configuration was modified to implement two different workstation configurations, one for physical lab or PLAB workstations, and the other for VLAB workstations. To simplify access to the VLAB workstations, which involves clicking on an available PC icon, an in-house developer created a Web-based interface on a small-dedicated web server.
“A user physically interacts with their own laptop or desktop computer and accesses a website in order to connect to a VLAB system,” said Seazzu. “Users may be physically located in classrooms, libraries, common areas, home, and work—anywhere with sufficient network services and capacity.”
Interest in VLABs has grown for several reasons including general interest in supporting distance education, potential for resource sharing and cost savings, and potential for improved educational outcomes says Seazzu.
Another benefit is that less staff is needed to oversee a virtual lab compared to a physical lab reducing operational overhead.
The creation of the existing VLAB evolved from research Seazzu and his students had worked on. Dell has now partnered in the development of the next generation of VLABs by funding this pilot. There are several enhancements incorporated in how remote systems will be made available to students. While the project seeks to minimize the changes in the students’ experience accessing class applications, most of the improvements and innovations reside in the management of the backend services.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Posted by scarr at May 12, 2009 01:36 PM