Accessing vCloud Director

The DSU IAlab uses vCloud for creating hands on labs with virtual machines. vCloud Director can be accessed from both on campus and off campus, there are no location restrictions. Windows, Linux, and Mac are all supported.

IAlab Overview Video

Logging In:

To log in, browse to the website. https://ialab.dsu.edu For the learn environment (where you would do labs for a class you are enrolled in) click on the link to the learn interface. To work on your own projects, click projects.

 The logon page should look similar to the following depending on the chosen ORG 

From here, log in with your username and password DSU Network Password.

Special Notes: If you receive “Authentication Error” Make sure that you have access (i.e.: you will receive this error logging into the Learn environment if you are not in any classes). Make sure you are using your DSU username to log in not your email. If you are unsure of your username you can find it by logging in here using your email address (https://apps.dsu.edu/dsu-account/login.aspx)

Checking out a vApp (Lab):

Checking out a lab will give you an exact copy of the virtual machines needed to complete your lab. This may have already been done for you automatically!

Once logged into vCloud Director:

From the top menu, click Libraries button, once on the Libraries page opens you will, filter for the vApp you want (#1), select the vApp you want (#2), and click Create vApp (#3)

Give your vApp a unique name, such as YourLastName_Lab01. The default should be changed.

Leases:

Runtime Lease: The runtime lease states how long your virtual machines will be allowed to run before they are suspended. Suspending the VMs allows the resources to be used by other machines. Suspending will stop any activity you have going on in your machine, but it will NOT reset (or power cycle) your VM. The maximum value varies by Org.

Storage lease: The storage lease states how long your VM may be left unattended before being deleted automatically. The maximum value varies by Org.

Once you have given your vApp a Name click Next.

Select the Virtual Datacenter (there will only be one and the name varies by Org) E.g. Projects_Default

Click Next and Finish. Your vApp will be deployed and ready soon after clicking Finish.

Using vApps in vCloud Director:

This section describes basic operations once your vApp has been checked out.

From the top menu, click Datacenters. Then select the Virtual Datacenter (there will only be one and the name varies by Org) E.g. Projects_Default

Click vApps if it is not already selected. This will show you a list of all vApps you have access to in a particular Org.

Click the 3 vertical dots to perform various actions on the vApp. E.g. Power On

Click on your vApps name to open it

Details: Shows all of the VMs associated with your vApp, general information about your vApp, and Sharing options depending on the Org.

Network Diagram: Shows an overview of what networks each individual VM in your vApp is connected to.

Networks: Shows the networks that are associated with your vApp

Power Options:

You may individually select a VM from inside the vApp if you wish to Power On a specific VM without starting all VMs in your vApp. If you wish to Power Off, Reset, or Suspend the same applies.

Insert a CD:

To insert a virtual CD into your VM, click the 3 vertical dots on the virtual machine and select Insert Media

Interacting:

If your machines are Powered On, you click the 3 vertical dots and select either Launch Web Console or VM Remote Console (You will need to have VMRC installed for that option to work. A download link is available in the menu)  

Using your VM:

Your virtual machine’s console is where you will probably do the most of your work. The default Password for most VMs is "Password1!" 

FAQ’s:

What is the best browser to use?
Firefox and Chrome are the best browsers for use. Edge and Safari work but you may run into issues or limitations.