Virtual Lab Software Availability

T&I is working hard to provide our faculty and students with the resources they need, on and off-campus. We will continue to update this article as more information becomes available. 

We are working with Apporto on implementing their cloud based virtual computer lab solution for the 2020-2021 school year. Apporto is a leading vendor of cloud based virtual desktops used by many of our peers that allows students to access a virtual computer with academic software through a web browser.

We will be virtualizing most of the computer lab software faculty requested for Fall using Apporto. This solution will allow us to create social distance in the labs and provide access to computer lab resources for students who are off-campus or don't feel comfortable going to a shared physical computer lab.

How can I access the virtual computer lab?
The virtual lab will be accessed via a web browser at virtuallab.davidson.edu
You can find detailed instructions in our User Guide.  

Are there any restrictions (use-time limitations; when classes scheduled etc)? 
Our implementation will allow 170 concurrent users. We are able to scale the number of concurrent users up at an additional cost.

What software is available?
Our plan is to have all requested software installed on lab computers available on the Apporto solution with a few exceptions based on licensing terms.

If I am off-campus, will I need VPN to access the Virtual Lab?
VPN will not be required to access Apporto from off-campus. Apporto will be integrated into our single sign-on so access will be restricted to Davidson accounts.  

Where should I store any documents I create using a virtual lab computer?
Apporto’s virtual desktops allow users to save files to Apporto managed storage that is associated with each user, which means that information saved on the virtual computer and any customizations will remain available on each user's virtual system just like they would if the user was saving to their own PC. 

JupyterHub, a STEM-centric service, is designed to encourage exploration and discovery through the use of visualization and computation. It is available to faculty, staff and students. 

JupyterHub makes interactive computing environments available on-demand to students, staff, and faculty. Once logged-in to the environment, you’ll have access to software, including Python, R statistical, and more.  Check out this article to learn more about JupyterHub including access, requirements, and support materials. 

Who do I contact if I need support? 

• If you need help using a particular application, contact your professor for additional support.
• If you are experiencing problems accessing the Virtual Lab, email T&I at ti@davidson.edu. 
• If you have specific issues or questions about Apporto, select the Help dropdown in the upper right-hand corner of the initial log in screen and choose support request, complete the form and Apporto will respond.