Need the same software environment across an entire classroom, a research group, or a department? ITS can provision a fleet of virtual computers or stream applications directly to users’ browsers — all pre-configured, consistent, and ready to use. Virtual labs are a practical solution for large-scale classroom instruction, software with limited concurrent licenses, applications that require complex setup or specialized configuration, GPU-accelerated workloads like 3D modeling and VR, and Windows-only software for users on Mac hardware.
Contact: its-citi@uri.edu (ITS Cloud & IT Infrastructure)
Features
Virtual labs can be deployed for a wide range of needs:
- Classroom instruction at scale — provision an identical software environment for every student in a course, eliminating setup variability and ensuring everyone starts from the same baseline (e.g., SPSS for a statistics course)
- Seat-limited or concurrent licenses — make software with a limited number of licenses accessible to more users than physical seats allow, without purchasing individual copies (e.g., MATLAB, SAS, JMP)
- Specialized or complex software — deliver applications that require significant setup, special configuration, or are too complex to install and maintain on individual machines (e.g., ArcGIS, ERDAS Imagine, ViewFM)
- GPU-accelerated workloads — provide access to high-performance virtual machines with dedicated GPU resources for 3D modeling, rendering, simulation, and VR applications
- Windows software on Mac hardware — give staff, students, or researchers access to Windows-only applications when their primary machines run macOS
ITS will assess your needs and select the right delivery approach — whether that’s a fleet of virtual machines or cloud-streamed applications — based on your use case, user volume, and software requirements.
Access
Virtual labs are available to URI departments, faculty, and research groups. To request a new lab or application deployment, contact its-citi@uri.edu to start a consultation. ITS will work with you to understand your software, licensing, and user volume requirements.
Students and end users access their virtual lab through a link or portal provided by their instructor or department — no account setup or installation is required on their end.
Looking for a browser-based Python or R environment for course instruction? See JupyterHub and R Studio Server.
Support and Training
ITS manages the underlying infrastructure — provisioning, configuration, updates, and availability. Departments are responsible for providing valid software licenses and specifying environment requirements before deployment.
For issues with an existing virtual lab, contact its-citi-triage@uri.edu. For new deployments or changes to an existing lab, contact its-citi@uri.edu.