Virtual Lab Login and Logout Steps

Table of Contents

1. Logging in via web browser (virtuallab.wisconsin.edu)
2. Logging in via the client app

Accessing the Virtual Lab via Web Browser

Logging into the Lab is similar to going to a physical computer lab and accessing a computer there. First, you connect to the Lab environment. Then, you connect to the specific machine you will use to do your work. Here are the steps when accessing through a web browser:

1. Go to virtuallab.wisconsin.edu. There, you should see a login page that looks like this:
   
2. Enter your Virtual Lab username and password. These are not the same as your Canvas login credentials. You should have received credentials for the Lab in an e-mail.
3. Click on the icon for your virtual “lab”.
   
4. When prompted, enter your credentials again to connect to your virtual computer.
5. Your virtual machine will boot up now. Normal log-in takes about 1-3 minutes. You will know it is ready to use when you see the machine’s information and your username appear in the top right of the screen.
   

Exiting the lab, like entering the lab, is a two-step process. First, log off of the machine you were using. Then, log out of the Lab environment itself. Here are the steps:

1. Start by double-clicking the big red “Sign Out” button on the desktop. This will pop up a “click any key to log out” screen.
   
   
   
2. Click any key.
   
3. On the next screen, click the “Menu” button (the button furthest to the right in the top menu bar) and select “Log Out” from the menu to exit the Lab environment.
   
4. Once you see the initial login screen again, you are fully logged out.

Accessing the Virtual Lab via Client App

Logging into the Lab is similar to going to a physical computer lab and accessing a computer there. First, you connect to the Lab environment. Then, you connect to the specific machine you will use to do your work. Here are the steps when accessing via the Omnissa Horizon client application:

1. Open the app. There, you should see a login page that looks like this:
   
2. Enter your Virtual Lab username and password. These are not the same as your Canvas login credentials. You should have received credentials for the Lab in an e-mail.
3. Click on the icon for your virtual “lab”.
   
4. When prompted, enter your credentials again to connect to your virtual computer.
5. Your virtual machine will boot up now. Normal log-in takes about 1-3 minutes. You will know it is ready to use when you see the machine’s information and your username appear in the top right of the screen.

Exiting the lab, like entering the lab, is a two-step process. First, you log off of the machine you were using. Then, you log out of the Lab environment itself. Here are the steps:

1. Start by double-clicking the big red “Sign Out” button on the desktop. This will pop up a “click any key to log out” screen.
   
2. Click any key.
   
3. At the next screen, where you will see the icon for your Virtual Lab, find the "Disconnect" button with the electrical plug icon and click it to complete your disconnect from the Lab environment.
   
4. Once you see the initial login screen again, you are fully logged out.