Virtual Lab
What is UT Virtual Labs?
The Virtual Lab environment is a system of servers that host virtual computers. These
virtual computers can be connected to by a computer a modern browser HTML5 or running
the VMWare View client. Added features exist when using the view client over HTML.
These virtual computers are configured by IT with a wide range of software. They
can be accessed from anywhere in the world with an internet connection 24x7 and require
no configuration for use. Simply login and start using them!
The Virtual Lab environment are two separate systems. The academic environment consists
of student labs for general use and virtual computers for specific classes. For example,
the UT Open Lab is configured with enterprise licenses software available to all students,
faculty or staff. The office of accessibility Vlab has special software available
to help those with disabilities. Some colleges have additional labs for specific
class uses. These labs usually have software that is configured for a specific class
or for students to use prohibitively expensive software.
The clinical environment is specifically configured for use at the UT Medical Center.
The virtual computers in this environment have software installed and configured that
is used by the staff, nurses, and doctors for patient care and vendors for assisting
with workloads.
Who has access to the UT Virtual Labs?
Access to the Virtual Labs is based on your UTAD user account. If you're a student,
you will have access to all Open Labs, plus any labs specific to your school or classes.
Clinical staff and doctors will have access to the clinical virtual labs based on
their dept.
If you need access to a specific virtual lab, or you should have access, but are not able to login, simply contact the Help Desk either by calling 419-530-2400. A help desk representative will assist you in making sure you have access to the virtual labs you need.
When are the UT Virtual Labs available?
The Virtual Labs are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. While there are periodic
outages for updates and maintenance, these typically take place between semesters
and/or in the late evening or early morning. Long scheduled outages are usually communicated
to the larger UT community through myut.utoledo.edu site, email, or by Vlab login.
Are Virtual Labs eliminating physical computer labs on campus?
No, the Virtual Labs are a tool that allows more flexible access for students, faculty,
and staff. While the system will expand as needed and new labs will be added in the
future, the Virtual Lab environment is not intended to fully replace physical labs
or computers. The Virtual Lab environment is just another way for everyone to have
more options and tools available for our work or studies.
Can I access the Virtual Labs from off campus?
Yes. You can access the Virtual Labs from most any supported device with an internet
connection.
Can I access the Virtual Labs from the campus wireless network?
Yes. The Virtual Lab environment is available from both the Public and Private wireless
networks.
What do I need in order to connect to the Virtual Labs?
You will need a supported device with a modern browser or the VMWare View client installed
and a high-speed internet connection. Most DSL, Cable, and similar connections work
just fine. Specific requirements are detailed below:
How do I connect to the Virtual Labs from a Windows or Mac PC?
The most recent versions of the Windows operating system are supported.
You will need to download the VMWare View Client for your version of Windows from either vlab.utoledo.edu or vlabcl.utoledo.edu. Select either VMWare View Clients for the exact version of your operating system.
Once you have the client downloaded to your computer, double click the installer file to begin setup. You can keep the default settings for the installation if you wish. Your computer will ask to be restarted and you will need to do this before you can use the Virtual Labs. Once the VMWare View Client is completely installed it can be started from the shortcuts on your desktop or from the VMWare folder on your start menu.
To connect to the Virtual Labs:
Open the VMWare View Client, type the address of the environment you wish to use in
the Connection Server box. For academic virtual labs use vlab.utoledo.edu and for clinical virtual labs use vlabcl.utoledo.edu. Click Connect and enter your UTAD credentials. Username is your UTAD account username,
password is your UTAD account password, and domain should be set to UTAD. Select
the Virtual Lab you wish to connect to from the list of available labs. Sometimes
changing the protocol will help with connecting. Blast and PCOIP are available for
OSX and both those along with RDP for Windows. You will be connected to the virtual
lab of your choosing. You will see the client prepare and configure a desktop for
you. Now you can use the Virtual Lab as you would any other computer. When you are
finished using the virtual lab, simply click Option Disconnect and Log Off from the
black VMWare Client tool bar at the top of the screen.
What features are unavailable when accessing the Virtual Labs?
USB devices or network printers connected to your PC may or may not be available.
You will have to modify USB settings or change protocols in View client to allow for
some network printers or other USB devices to show up. The same goes for thumb drives,
memory card readers, fingerprint scanner, badge readers or external hard disks plugged
into your computer to view on your virtual machine.
Multiple monitors are now supported
Before connecting, right click on the Vlab name and select your preference for monitors.
How do I press Ctrl+Alt+Del if I'm on a Mac connecting to a Windows Virtual Computer?
Either click the Send Ctrl+Alt+Del button located on the toolbar next to the Disconnect
button, or click Desktop > Send Ctrl+Alt+Del or CTRL+ALT+INS may work.
How do I connect to the Virtual Labs from a mobile device?
You can now use a modern browser to connect to Vlabs. You can also use the VMWare
View client. It is available for iOS devices (iPhone, iPad) and Android phones and
tablets. To install, go to your smart phone or tablet's Appstore (App Store for iOS,
Google Play Store for Android) and search for "VMWare Client". Simply install this
app like you would any other iOS or Android app. Once your phone installs the VMWare
Client app, simply enter the address of the environment you wish to connect to. For
academic virtual labs use and for clinical virtual labs use vlabcl.utoledo.edu
What is my username and password for logging into the Virtual Labs?
The Virtual Lab environment uses the same username and password as your UTAD account.
Do Virtual Labs connect to the internet?
All of the virtual labs connect to the internet.
Where do I save documents and files, I create on a Virtual Computer?
You have at least four options if using the view client. Go to options, share folders,
add button and share your local c:\users\yourname folder for example to see that folder
in the virtual machine. Second option is to save to a USB device. Make sure to use
the Connect USB device option on the view menu. Third option is to If required, save
files to a USB device or locally on the VM and then upload files in the OneDrive site.
Do this before logging out of your virtual machine. After logging out, virtual machines
are destroyed, and files will be lost. For usage of OneDrive refer to our Office 365 page for more information. If you’re using the VMWare View Client for Microsoft
Windows, ubuntu or OSX, you can also save to USB drives connected to your computer.
Can I access other network drives besides my home directory? What about the Z:\ drive?
Yes, if you have access to other network drives, like a departmental drive or the
Z:\ drive, they will be connected to the Virtual Computer you are logged into.
How do I print from a Virtual Lab?
Most clinical and academic Virtual Labs have follow me printer setup. Many of these
printers are in the physical computer labs or around campus. If you’re using the
Windows View Client, you can print to most printers attached to your computer. Most
modern printers are supported.
I have multiple monitors on my computer; can I use them when accessing a Virtual Lab?
Yes, for the Windows and Linux View Clients. When you select which specific lab you
wish to connect to there is a selection for display. By default, this is set to full
screen, but you can change that to multiple monitors.
I have a question not covered here, what do I do?
Contact the University of Toledo IT help desk and someone will be happy to assist
you. The helpdesk can be contacted by phone (419.530.2400).