Thread: Virtual machines for training labs

I'm not quite sure where to ask this. I've tried searching online and here on WHT, but with very little results.

To be able to provide online Python programming courses I am looking for a service which lets me create a set of virtual machines:
- Ideally (Ubuntu) Linux, but other OS possible too
- Create a master VM and roll it out to 5 - 10 other VMs
- Access the VMs desktops remotely through a web page or RDP (remote desktop protocol)
- Spin up the VMs for 1 to 5 days (i.e. the duration of a course)

Does this exist? Any suggestions? Thanks, Coen

You can order VPS from providers who do hourly billing. You can delete the VPS when not needed, spin them up when you need them again, and be billed for the used period.

Or, you can order a dedicated server and hire a server management company to manage the VS node.

Check out AWS, Azure, or GCP for spinning up VMs. They support Ubuntu and let you clone a master VM to others. For remote access, they offer RDP or use a service like Guacamole. AWS Educate might be a good fit for your courses.

Hello, Coen,

this can be achieved.

Will you be the admin of the servers? If yes, then

1 - Get a dedicated server of your choice with IMPI (make sure it's fully dedicated/no cloud or vps)
2 - Install proxmox on it. Create a VM template and duplicate it to the resources allowed by your server.
You'll be able to stop/start/install/create VMs on the fly.

Hope this helps,

Kind Regards

Originally Posted by Michael Henderson

Check out AWS, Azure, or GCP for spinning up VMs. They support Ubuntu and let you clone a master VM to others. For remote access, they offer RDP or use a service like Guacamole. AWS Educate might be a good fit for your courses.

Wouldn't Digital Ocean, Linode and Vultr be an easier option than AWS, GCP and Azure?

I don't see why each student needs a VM, rather than just an individual user account all on the same server, maybe jailed with chroot. I like Nomachine NX for remote desktop viewing, and their enterprise version might give you the web access.

In which country are you based - could you get in touch with an accounts manager at AWS or Azure?

https://aws.amazon.com/education/awseducate/

I have worked in the education sector previously, and AWS was flexible to develop a solution for students/younger gen that was at no additional cost to the credit/standard offering... Perhaps this is something you can give it a go with inquires? Otherwise Linode or DO with the credit could be something you manually do with an API through hourly billing...