From classroom to cloud: how trainers use virtual labs

More and more cloud computing students take part in virtual labs. So, what are they – and how are they used by trainers?



By now, most companies are convinced of the benefits cloud computing can bring – from the restaurant on the corner to a sprawling multinational market leader.

But what's often overlooked is that the cloud is only as good as its operators. Deployment alone isn't going to take your business to the next level. You need a steady hand at the tiller – and an informed, experienced one at that.

In practice, this means cloud administrators need to be trained. Without adequate training, you're simply painting over the cracks. Only with high-quality training can cloud deployment improve customer loyalty and employee performance.

But just as the cloud is only as good as its operatives, so trainees are only as good as their training. Too often, IT professionals go through one-size-fits-all, tick-box training. And more often than not, these inferior training courses prioritise passive learning rather than hands-on exercises.

What trainees need are virtual labs. These are replicas of cloud environments where students can test, analyse and learn from their mistakes.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide lab hosting for VCF Education Delivery Partners (VEDPs). These partners provide courses in all things VMware that put active learning first.

How do they do it – and why? Let's find out.

Why VEDPs use virtual labs

1. Replication of cloud environments

A virtual lab is a replica of a cloud environment. It is to the cloud what a flight simulator is to an aeroplane.

Whatever your cloud infrastructure, a virtual lab can recreate it in detail. Every aspect of the infrastructure is there to be used – but unlike the real thing, there's no harm done when mistakes are made.

This is good for learners in one key respect. Instead of reading how to deploy an app, say, a learner can do it. And they can do it as many times as they need for it to become second nature.

The result? System administrators who've already carried out essential tasks in a replica environment. You'll be amazed at what a difference this can make to troubleshooting, deployment, configuration and more.

2. Scalability

Spend five minutes in the world of cloud computing and you'll hear about scalability. It's a key benefit of cloud computing – the ability to extend provisioning without tearing literal wires out of the wall.

Virtual labs are scalable, too. After all, a physical classroom can only hold so many people – and it's likely to hold people from a circumscribed geographical radius.

Virtual labs, by contrast, have all the benefits of e-learning. Maybe your company needs to train one person. Perhaps it needs to train a dozen. Cloud computing courses, such as those provided by VEDPs, can be scaled to meet your requirements.

If you're making the leap from brick-and-mortar teaching to the cloud, you'll soon realise just how big a change this can bring about.

3. Real-time feedback

Cloud computing trainers use virtual labs differently from remote learning.

If you learn on your own, you have to wait for corrections – either by checking your work yourself or sending it off to an expert for feedback.

With virtual labs, feedback is instantaneous. Instructors are in the lab with their students and can jump in immediately when help is needed.

This direct relationship between instructor and student speeds up the learning process. Make a mistake? You'll be set on the right track in seconds, not days.

What's more, students can be signposted to training materials instantaneously. Information is at everyone's fingertips. That means no time wasted Googling the answers or waiting for feedback from a remote assessor.

This speed of training isn't just motivating for students. It also makes training a more economical option for companies. After all, managers are far more likely to invest in training if outcomes are quickly achieved.

4. Hands-on simulations

Virtual labs give students the chance to make mistakes in a jeopardy-free environment. Rather than passively absorbing knowledge, they learn through doing.

Virtual labs are often referred to as "sandboxes". A sandbox is defined by Oxford Languages as "a testing environment in a computer system in which new or untested software or coding can be run securely".

"Securely" is the key word here. In a virtual lab, you can try out core tasks without any chance of putting the wider network at risk. It's a safe space for experimentation and learning. For many companies, this is the optimum way to turn competent IT professionals into exceptional operators.

Sure, knowledge acquisition is important. But if retention is your aim, you can't beat active learning – and in the world of cloud computing, that means real-world, hands-on simulations.

Where hosting services come in

What do course providers do? The clue's in the name. Their primary function is to provide courses – not necessarily to host them.

Many providers, in fact, host their courses on external infrastructure. This division of labour means both sides of the coin are given equal value – the course itself and the backend that makes it possible.

With lab hosting services, course providers can focus on what they do best – enrolling, teaching and assessing. Behind the scenes, lab hosts make sure everything is working as it should be.

It's not so different from the relationship between IT and the rest of a company. IT works hard in the background to ensure everything else runs smoothly.

Here at Ascend, we offer lab hosting for VEDP partners. We provide a service that's highly secure and highly available – globally available, in fact.

It doesn't matter where in the world you and your students are. It doesn't matter how many there are or how many courses you want to deliver. We take care of the backend so you can focus on what you're good at.

So, if you're looking to bring your training to life with reliable, flexible lab hosting, get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions. We'd love to help you turn today's learners into tomorrow's cloud experts.