Legacy Lab Client Interface

This guide helps learners and candidates navigating and getting acquainted with the Skillable Lab Client user interface. The Lab User Interface is Skillable's client to deliver labs, gives access to Lab Instructions, and provides the hands-on, real-world, scenario-based training environments.

Configurations and Customizations of the Lab Interface in Skillable

In general, when a learner or candidate launches a lab, the Lab interface is displayed in two different configurations, depending on the lab components used when the lab was built:

• Virtualization based labs are displayed in a single browser window.
• Cloud based labs are displayed in two browser windows.

Lab Interface

The main window of Skillable Labs is split in two. On the left is the training real-world learning environment (e.g., a virtual machine), and on the right is the lab manual, which is a set of instructions, scenarios, and activities relating to the skills' training environment.

There are 4 main menus in the Lab Interface:

• Commands menu: This is a drop-down menu that provides commands shortcuts to send to the current lab, depending on the training environment. See the Commands menu section for more information.

• Display menu: This menu contains display settings also depending on the real-world scenario. See the Display menu section for more information.

• Developer menu: If you are using a virtual machine, this menu is used to install integration services on the virtual machine in the lab.

• Hamburger menu: Last, the hamburger menu, it contains options to save the lab and return to it later, save changes to the virtual machines in the lab, edit instructions, share your lab instance, or transfer your lab instance to another user. See the Hamburger menu section for more information.

Lab Interface Layout

1. Commands menu: Contains advanced lab functions. See the Commands menu section for more information.

2. Display menu: Contains display settings. See the Display menu section for more information.

3. Developer menu: This is used to install integration services on the virtual machine in the lab.

4. Pin/unpin: This allows pinning or unpinning the top bar that contains the Commands menu, Display menu, Developer menu and connection indicator.

5. Connection indicator: Displays the connection quality between your local machine and the virtual machine in the lab environment. The connection quality is displayed in milliseconds and a description of Excellent, Good, Fair and Poor. For more information about each connection quality description, or to conduct a speed test, please see our Skillable Speed Test.

6. Lab instruction pane: Displays the lab instructions.

7. Lab resources: Contains lab resources such as virtual machines, cloud resources, and any credentials needed to complete the lab instructions. This is also where you can load files into your virtual machine.

   Note:

   To load files into your VM, select the VM you wish to load files to and then select Load Files and follow the instructions in the dialog window.

8. Lab help: Contains lab theme settings, lab instance ID, FAQ and a link to submit a support request.

   Note:

   The Help tab may not be available to you, depending on your learning organization settings.

9. Lab instruction zoom slider: This allows you to zoom the display of the each tab in the lab instruction window (Instructions, Resources and Help).

10. Hamburger menu: Contains options to save the lab and return to it later, save changes to the virtual machines in the lab, edit instructions, share your lab instance, or transfer your lab instance to another user. See the Hamburger menu section for more information.

    Note:

    Some of these options may not be available to you, depending on your account configuration.

11. Instruction resizer: Drag left and right to adjust the size of the instruction pane.

12. Previous lab instruction: Navigates to the previous page in the lab instructions.

13. Next lab instruction: Navigates to the next page in the lab instructions.

14. Virtual machine or cloud platform (depending on lab configuration): The virtual machine in focus, or the cloud platform (if the lab doesn't use virtual machines).

Commands Menu

The Commands Menu in Skillable Labs provides users with advanced functionalities to interact with the virtual machine or cloud platform used in the lab. It offers a range of commands from basic keyboard shortcuts to power controls, enhancing the user's control over the lab environment. Users would typically access this menu to perform specific actions that facilitate their learning experience or to troubleshoot issues within the lab.

1. Ctrl+Alt+Delete: Sends the Ctrl-Alt-Delete key combination to the virtual machine.

2. ALT+Tab: Sends the ALT+Tab key combination to the virtual machine.

3. Windows Key: Sends the Windows key command to the virtual machine.

4. Type Text:

   A. Type Username: Types the username into the virtual machine at the current cursor position.

   B. Type Password: Types the password into the virtual machine at the current cursor position.

   C. Type Clipboard Text: Opens a dialog box to paste text into from your local clipboard, and paste into the virtual machine at the current cursor position.

5. Power:

   A. Pause Machine: This puts the virtual machine into a paused state. Once it is paused, it must be resumed to continue using the virtual machine.

   B. Reset/Reboot Machine: This reboots the virtual machine. This does not gracefully shut down the machine. It is recommended to save your work before using this.

   C. Turn Off Machine: This powers down the virtual machine.

6. Virtual Keyboard: This enables an on-screen virtual keyboard that can be used to input keystrokes into the virtual machine.

7. Reset Internet Gateway: Resets the gateway that the virtual machine uses to connect to the internet.

Display Menu

The Display Menu is a useful feature that allows users to adjust the appearance and connection of the virtual machine in the lab. You may need this menu to optimize their viewing experience, fit the virtual machine to their browser window size, or reconnect to the lab if the connection is lost.

1. Full Screen: Sets the lab to display in a full screen window.

2. Fit Machine to Window: This resizes the virtual machine to fit the browser window.

3. Reconnect: This will reconnect your local machine to the remote virtual machine, if the connection is interrupted.

Developer Menu

The Developer Menu allows users to install the Skillable Labs Integration Services on the virtual machine in the lab.

1. Install Integration Service: This installs the Skillable Studio Integration Service. This allows automatic screen resizing (limited resolutions)
   and executing UI commands within a virtual machine.

Hamburger Menu

The Hamburger Menu enables users to save, edit, and manage their lab instances and profiles. Learners and candidates would need this menu to preserve their work, make changes to the lab settings, or switch to a different experience if preferred.

1. Save:

   A. Save my lab instance and return to it later: This allows you to save your lab and return to it later. Please note the expiration date and time that is displayed after you save your lab. Once the expiration date and time has elapsed, the lab is cancelled and any work in the lab will be lost.

   B. Commit my changes to this lab profile: This allows lab authors to commit changes to virtual machines in the lab, so that subsequent lab launches will contain those changes.

   C. Commit my changes and create a new lab profile: This allows lab authors to commit changes to virtual machines in the lab and save a new lab profile with the changes.

2. Edit Instructions This allows lab authors to edit the instructions that are displayed in the instruction pane of the lab.

3. Split Windows: This allows splitting the windows into two separate windows; with the Virtual machine in one window, and the lab instruction pane in another window. After windows are split, this button will change to display Join Windows, this is used to join the windows back together into a single browser window.

Lab Interface FAQ

To read frequently asked questions about the lab interface, read Lab Interface FAQ.