Skip to Main ContentOpen Alternative Formats of This Page
Dallas College
Skip to Main Content Open Alternative Formats of This Page

Azure Lab Services

  • Cloud-based platform offered by Microsoft
  • Provides a safe, controlled environment for students to gain hands-on experience
  • Nested Virtualization
  • Enables you to create and run Virtual Machines with a Virtual Machine
  • Allows Students to log in and out, switch between user accounts
  • Install other operating systems (Linux), if needed

Steps to access your labs

  1. Receive Lab Invitation
    • Your instructor will send you a lab invitation through an email or course platform (Brightspace)
    • Initial Log in will prompt for a new password.
      1. Enter the password that you created
        2. enter the password that you created
      2. Click on the computer icon to download RDP
        3. click on the computer icon to download RDP
  2. Register for the Lab
    • Click the link in the invitation email, and it will take you to the Azure Lab Services portal.
    • If this is your first time, sign in with your Microsoft account or institutional credentials.
    • Once registered, you’ll be added to the lab, and your assigned Virtual Machine (VM) will be available in the dashboard.
  3. Access the Lab Portal
    • After registration, log into the Azure Lab Services (https://labs.azure.com) website.
    • You’ll see the dashboard showing available VMs. Your lab VM may already be running, or you might need to start it manually.
  4. Start Your Virtual Machine
    • On the portal dashboard, select the VM assigned to you. If the VM is not running, click the Start button to power it on.
    • It may take a few minutes for the status to change to "Running."
      • It may take a few minutes for the status to change to Running
  5. Connect to the Virtual Machine (Please click the link to learn more about connecting with different operating systems)

    6. Connecting with Windows:

    • Click the Connect button, which downloads an RDP file. Open the RDP file to launch the Remote Desktop Connection.
    • Enter your credentials when prompted (either set by your instructor or configured earlier).
      • enter your credentials when prompted
  6. Work on the Virtual Machine
    • Once connected, you can work on your projects or assignments as if you were using a local machine. All necessary software or tools should already be installed based on your lab setup.
    • Keep track of your quota hours — these may limit the time you can spend on the VM. The system might shut down your VM automatically when you exceed the quota. Ask your professor to bump of quotas if needed.
  7. Stop the VM When Finished
    • When you're done working, return to the lab portal and click Stop to shut down the VM. This prevents the system from using your quota unnecessarily.
    • Simply closing your RDP session without stopping the VM may continue to use your quota.
      • simply closing your RDP session without stopping the virtual machine may continue to use your quota
    • Log Out
    • Make sure to log out of both the virtual machine and the Azure Lab Services portal once you’re finished.
 

Additional Resources: