If you look after a university computer lab in Malaysia, you know the routine. One PC has a stubborn pop-up, another has a student’s leftover files, a third missed last month’s patch, and a lecturer needs new software installed across a whole room before Monday. Fixing labs one PC at a time takes up the week. This guide is for the lab technicians who do that work. It shows how CloudDesk vDesk lets you reset and patch a whole lab from one golden image, and how vDash helps you keep that image lean.
What a Golden Image Means in vDesk
vDesk is a desktop virtualisation and management platform. The operating system, application software, policies and data are stored centrally on the vDesk server, and the lab PCs are managed through a single application. Here is how it works:
- You upload the OS image and apps to the vDesk server.
- Lab PCs connect to the server through PXE boot.
- The server delivers the OS and apps to each PC without formatting it or installing anything on it.
- PCs get the OS and apps in minutes, even without a hard drive.
That central copy is your golden image. vDesk lets you capture more than one golden image and provision each one to different machines or rooms, depending on what each lab needs. Instead of looking after every PC in a room separately, you look after the image.
A Technician’s Week: Before and After
This is an illustration of the kind of work that changes, not a measured case study. Every lab is different.
Before: managing each PC on its own
- Walking from PC to PC to undo changes that students made during the day.
- Installing a patch or a new application machine by machine, then checking which PCs missed it.
- Handling tickets about PCs that “behave differently” from the one next to them.
- Keeping separate setups in step across rooms, buildings or campuses.
After: managing the lab from one golden image with vDesk
- Reset on restart: lab PCs can be set to reset on every restart, so each user gets a clean environment. Leftover files and unwanted changes are gone after a reboot.
- Central patching: you install new software, patches and upgrades centrally once, then deploy them to all machines.
- One control centre: you manage labs that may be spread across several buildings or even campuses from a single “command and control centre”.
- Remote control: you can take remote control of a lab desktop when you need to, instead of walking over to it.
Step by Step: Reset and Patch a Whole Lab from One Image
- Build the golden image. Set up the OS and the applications the lab needs, then upload them to the vDesk server.
- Join it to Active Directory. vDesk integrates with your AD environment, so many users can share a single vDesk image without duplication or integration issues. Students and staff sign in with their usual accounts.
- Assign images to rooms. If different labs need different software, capture more than one golden image and provision each to the right machines or rooms.
- Turn on reset on restart. Set the lab PCs to reset on every restart so each session starts clean.
- Patch once, deploy to all. When a patch or new software version is due, update the image centrally and deploy it to every machine using that image.
- Prepare for exam weeks. vDesk includes an exam mode. Ask us to walk you through it in a demo so you can plan it into your exam-week routine.
- Plan for network problems. vDesk has offline access, so users can carry on working even if the network connection goes down.
Keep the Image Lean with vDash
A golden image only stays easy to manage if it carries what people actually use. Over time, applications get added “just in case” and rarely come off. That means a bigger image to maintain, more to patch, and more licences to renew.
This is where vDash comes in. A lightweight agent on every lab PC collects usage data, and vDash shows it on one online dashboard:
- Peak concurrent licence use per application, not install counts, so you can see which apps are really in demand.
- Usage by user and department, so you know which departments use each licensed app, and when.
- Usage heatmaps and a ranking of labs by login sessions, to see which rooms are busy, idle or offline.
- A live machine inventory with warranty and support expiry per PC.
Before you rebuild an image for a new semester, check vDash for applications that are installed everywhere but barely used. You can then move specialist software to the image for the labs whose departments need it, rather than every lab. For a fuller end-of-term routine, see our 5-question lab review with vDash.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do lab PCs need a hard drive to run vDesk?
No. PCs connect to the vDesk server through PXE boot, and the server delivers the OS and apps without formatting or installing anything on the PC. They get the OS and apps in minutes, even without a hard drive.
Can different labs use different images?
Yes. You can capture multiple golden images and provision them to different machines or rooms, depending on what each lab needs.
What happens if the network goes down?
vDesk has offline access, so users can carry on working even if the network connection goes down.
Does vDesk work with Active Directory?
Yes. vDesk integrates with your AD environment, so many users can use a single vDesk image without duplication or integration issues.
How does vDash help with vDesk?
vDash shows which applications are actually used, by whom and at what peak. That helps you decide what belongs in each golden image, so the image stays lean and you renew licences for real demand.
How do we get started?
Start with a free 2-week vDash pilot on your own lab PCs, or book a 30-minute vDesk/VDI demo. CloudDesk is offered as a per-PC annual subscription after the pilot.
See What Your Labs Really Use
Start with the data. The free 2-week vDash pilot runs on your own lab PCs. Agents install in minutes, and you see live usage data once they’re installed. Use it to find out which software belongs in your golden image.
Start your free 2-week vDash pilot
Want to see vDesk itself? Book a 30-minute vDesk/VDI demo.