How we keep VEDP labs running 24/7 for global learners

Education is changing all the time. A lot has changed since the days of blackboard and chalk, with more and more students relying on virtual learning environments to deepen their skills and further their careers.

In the cloud computing world, most training now takes place online. The best-case scenario for most students is to learn in online labs – virtual sandboxes where they can act out simulations of critical real-world scenarios.

For this to happen, of course, there needs to be an underlying infrastructure ensuring the labs run smoothly. And in a global marketplace, students are logging on across the world and at different times. Uptime and availability are the name of the game.

So, how are these things achieved? The answer is that lab hosting providers like us oversee complex, fine-tuned systems that enable students to learn at their own pace and in their own time.

We specialise in providing lab hosting services for VEDP labs. Before we look more closely at the technology that makes this possible, let's first explore what these labs are – and how they help.

What are VEDP labs?

VEDP training labs are virtual, online sandbox environments designed for training and certification in the VMware virtualisation software suite.

They allow cloud computing engineers of different levels to gain hands-on experience in a simulated environment. This "learning through doing" allows them to break things safely and prepares them for real-world scenarios.

These scenarios cover everything from core configurations and deployments to high-risk troubleshooting. All this is done without any existing systems being disrupted or affected.

VEDP labs produce cloud computing engineers who are competent, skilled and able to deal with real-world pressure. It also gets them ready for VMware certifications that can advance their careers in a rapidly changing field.

What does Ascend Cloud Solutions provide?

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, the VMware virtualisation software suite is our bread and butter – in fact, many of our staff have histories working with VMware.

We provide many services related to cloud transformation, including migration and security consulting. One of our core services is providing lab hosting for VMware-authorised VEDP labs.

Our priority is to provide lab hosting services that are highly secure and highly reliable. In 2026, this means high service level agreements, uptime and availability.

VEDP course providers come to us looking for the infrastructure they need to deliver their courses. Our sandboxes are scalable and pre-configured, relieving course providers from the burden of providing their own infrastructure.

The result, put simply, is a hands-on training environment for cloud engineers that's accessible at any time from any location – and that can be troubleshooted quickly and efficiently.

That's what we do – so, how do we do it? As you might expect from a cloud computing service, the answer lies in our command of high-performance infrastructure.

How do we do it?

A priority in any lab hosting service is to provide global availability. To do this, you need to eliminate single points of failure. In plain English, this means that if a service fails, a substitute service needs to be made available – immediately.

We achieve this by spreading our resources across multiple isolated availability zones and geographical regions.

Provisioning and scaling are automated, meaning systems automatically handle resource allocation. As trainees begin and end their courses, virtual machines are spun up and infrastructure is scaled up and down to meet demand without breaking a sweat.

If a component fails, automated failover immediately redirects traffic to backup systems. At the same time, automated tools monitor server health, network performance and application uptime. This monitoring and alerting happens around the clock, 24/7/365.

Labs are accessible on demand, giving VEDP lab providers the flexibility they need to teach students in different time zones.

We handle all elements of maintenance, from updates to security patches to lab resets. This frees VEDP lab providers from maintenance duties and lets them focus on what they do best – training up the next generation of VMware cloud engineers.

All this is achieved with a range of technologies. Load balancers distribute traffic evenly and prevent overloading, while container orchestration automatically restarts labs or services.

Meanwhile, infrastructure as code (IaC) allows stable environments to be quickly redeployed.

What are the advantages of VEDP labs?

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide lab hosting services for VEDP labs because of our VMware expertise and our high-performance infrastructure. But we also do it because we're firm believers in the value of the courses delivered.

VEDP labs give cloud engineers of all experience levels hands-on, real-world experience. Unlike traditional passive learning, this lets them apply and deepen skills in real time, building confidence and increasing knowledge retention.

They get to do this in risk-free environments – virtual sandboxes that don't touch existing systems.

Learners can access labs 24/7 from any location. All they need is login permissions and a working internet connection. This means they can learn at their own pace and balance professional development with other work and life commitments.

Instructors can monitor student progress and offer real-time feedback. Meanwhile, tasks can be completed again and again until the skills are sufficiently ingrained.

Finally, VEDP labs eliminate the need for physical hardware and can be provisioned immediately.

What do VEPD labs cover?

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide VEDP lab providers with highly secure and highly reliable hosting for VMware-authorised training courses. These courses cover the whole breadth of the VMware virtualisation software suite, including: