If you’re running remote training and need people to actually get hands-on (instead of half-listening to slides), virtual labs are a no-brainer. But getting these labs to work the way you want—especially in Cloudshare—isn’t always as easy as the sales pitch promises. This guide is for trainers, admins, and anyone else who has to make these labs run smoothly, keep people from getting stuck, and avoid a support inbox full of “it won’t load” emails.
Here’s what actually works, where most folks trip up, and how to keep your sanity while managing Cloudshare labs for remote training.
1. Start Simple: Plan Your Lab Environments
Before you click anything in Cloudshare, figure out what you actually need your learners to do. Overcomplicating environments is the classic mistake.
- List the outcomes. What must people do, step-by-step? Keep it tight.
- Map tools to tasks. Only add apps and services learners really need. More VMs just means more things to break or explain.
- Decide on isolation. Will users need their own sandbox, or can they share? One per person is safest for training, but more expensive.
Pro tip: Resist the urge to recreate your entire production stack. Start with the minimum environment that lets them complete the exercises. You can always add complexity later.
2. Build a Solid Golden Image
Cloudshare lets you make templates (base environments) that you can clone for each student. This is the core of reliable labs. Don’t rush this.
- Install only essentials. Skip bloatware. Only what’s needed for the course.
- Patch and update. Make sure OS and software are up-to-date. Security holes in a lab are just as annoying as in production.
- Test user permissions. Can a student do what they need as a standard user? Don’t give everyone admin unless you have to.
What trips people up:
- Not testing the environment from a “student” account.
- Forgetting to clear browser caches or log files—your next users will see weird leftovers.
- Skipping the “power off and snapshot” step—always snapshot a clean, powered-down environment.
3. Automate Setup and Teardown
Manual setup is a waste of time and invites errors. Cloudshare has automation features—use them.
- Use blueprints and policies. Set up reusable templates and rules for how long labs live, who can access, and what happens when time’s up.
- Auto-expire labs. Set automatic timeouts so labs shut down or delete themselves when the session ends. This saves money and avoids zombie VMs.
- Script repetitive stuff. If students need sample data or files, script the upload as part of the environment initialization.
Ignore:
- Overly complex scripts for one-off sessions. Focus on repeatability. If it’s a once-a-year class, manual tweaks are fine.
4. Make Access Dead Simple
The #1 support headache? People can’t get into their labs. Make access foolproof.
- Direct links. Use Cloudshare’s invite system to send each student a unique link. Put it in their calendar invite, email, and course portal.
- Clear instructions. Give screenshots or a 1-minute video on logging in. Assume someone will ignore half your words.
- Browser requirements. Tell users what browsers and settings work best. Chrome and Firefox are safest bets—warn if pop-ups or plugins are needed.
What doesn’t work:
- Expecting everyone to remember a portal login.
- Burying access info in a PDF on page 18.
5. Monitor Labs During Training
Once the session starts, don’t assume silence means all is well.
- Use Cloudshare’s monitoring tools. You can see who’s logged in, who’s idle, and who hasn’t started. Spot issues early.
- Have a backup admin account. If someone nukes their lab, you can jump in and help.
- Set up a help channel. Slack, Teams, Zoom chat—whatever. Make it easy for students to ask for help without derailing the whole session.
Pro tip:
- Have spare labs ready. If someone’s environment melts down, just give them a new link. It’s faster than troubleshooting during class.
6. Manage Performance and Costs
Cloud labs aren’t free, and slow labs are worse than useless.
- Right-size your VMs. Don’t use more CPU/RAM than you need. But don’t cheap out so much that apps crawl.
- Set resource limits. Use Cloudshare’s controls to cap how much each lab can use—prevents a few users from hogging everything.
- Schedule auto-shutdown. Labs should power off when not in use, especially overnight or between sessions.
What to watch out for:
- Forgetting to delete old labs after class. Those bills add up.
- “Free tier” temptations—if the performance stinks, you’ll pay in frustration.
7. Keep Labs Up-to-Date (But Don’t Chase Your Tail)
You’ll need to update labs over time, but don’t obsessively patch for every little change.
- Schedule reviews. Once a quarter is usually fine. Update OS, replace expired software keys, check that instructions still match the UI.
- Version control your environments. Keep notes on what changed and when. Use Cloudshare’s cloning and snapshot features before updates.
- Test, test, test. After every update, do a dry run as a “student.” Small changes can break lab steps.
Skip:
- Endless updates for the sake of being “current.” If the old version works for the training, don’t fix what isn’t broken.
8. Gather Feedback and Iterate
The only way to know if your labs work for real people is to ask.
- Short, specific surveys. After a session, ask what was confusing or slow. Don’t wait for people to complain—they won’t.
- Watch for common pain points. If five people got stuck on step 3, your instructions or lab config need fixing.
- Update documentation. Keep a running list of “gotchas” and fixes for next time.
Be honest:
- Not every issue is a tech problem—sometimes it’s the exercise design. If students are lost, it’s usually not their fault.
Last Word: Don’t Overcomplicate It
Remote labs in Cloudshare can make hands-on training a breeze—or a headache. The difference comes down to planning, testing, and keeping things as simple as possible. Start small. Automate what you can. Fix what breaks. And remember: it’s better to have a reliable “boring” lab than a flashy setup that’s always down. Iterate as you go, and you’ll save everyone a ton of frustration.