Summary
Below is information to help you decide which virtual machine you would like to use. Please note that not all virtual machines have the same applications and you can find out which applications are on which virtual machine using this link.
Choosing Your Virtual Machine
Winlab – General
The Winlab General VM pool is an open-access environment available to all users. It is designed for everyday academic and productivity tasks, such as coursework, web-based tools, and standard desktop applications. These VMs are non-persistent, meaning user profiles and data are automatically discarded at log off. This ensures a clean, consistent environment for each session and minimizes long-term storage and maintenance requirements.
Winlab – Graphical
The Winlab Graphical pool provides open access to GPU-accelerated virtual machines for users who require enhanced graphical performance. This environment supports visualization tools and GPU-dependent software that benefit from hardware acceleration. Like Winlab General, these VMs are non-persistent, and all user data and profiles are removed at log off to maintain system performance and availability.
Engineering 01
The Engineering 01 VM pool is a restricted environment available only to engineering students and faculty. It supports a specific subset of engineering applications tailored to particular instructional needs. GPU availability is application-dependent, and the VMs operate in a non-persistent model, ensuring the environment resets after each session while still providing access to specialized software.
Engineering 02
The Engineering 02 pool is also restricted to engineering students and faculty and complements Engineering 01 by offering a different or expanded engineering software stack. As with Engineering 01, GPU access is application-dependent, and the VMs are non-persistent. This separation allows targeted software configurations while maintaining system flexibility and ease of management.
Learning Lab
The Learning Lab VM pool is a course-scoped, persistent environment intended for semester-long academic use. Access is limited to specific courses, with additional courses added by approval. Each student receives a 1:1 VM assignment, allowing work to persist across sessions throughout the semester. At the end of the term, all VMs in this pool are wiped and reset in preparation for the next academic cycle.