Heropa Glossary

Course

Courses are used to create self-paced courses. A course does not consume resources until it is launched. When creating a course, all settings can be configured, including the required environment templates, supporting content, and policy. Self-paced courses can be published in an end user's library.

Credentials

A credential set is a set of login credentials. In Heropa, it's possible to present end users with unique sets of credentials in their lab. End users can use these credential sets to log into external applications during a lab. A credential pool is a collection of credential sets. 

Environment

An environment is a collection of virtual machines with defined computing resources, networking and installed software. Each environment is managed as a single unit. Environments exist as individual instances of templates.

An environment:

• Is a live instance of a template
• Contains one or more virtual machines (VMs) and a virtual network
• Allows for VMs and their network to be managed as a single unit
• Inherits the region of the template it is created from
• Must be associated with a policy to control their lifecycle.

Event

An event is a scheduled instance of a course that is accessed by multiple end-users. It is typically used for instructor-led training. An event has a host, and can have multiple instructors. The event contains a lab environment for each host and participant, and an instructor dashboard for managing the classroom. For more definitions of terms relating to events, see: Instructor-led training.

Policy

A policy defines the amount of time end-users will have access to an environment and what will happen to the environment once this access period has expired. The policy also defines what happens to the environment once it has been idle for a certain amount of time. Custom policies can be defined and applied to environments and courses. Events use a schedule to manage timed access to environments by event participants. 

Region 

A region is the geographic location of a Heropa data center that stores VM images, templates and environments. Heropa currently operates out of 25 globally distributed regions. 

When working with environments, it's best to use a region that is geographically closest to end-users, to optimize their experience.

Template

A template is:

• Created from VM Images, as simple as a single standard VM, or as complex as a multi VM application.
• A defined configuration of VM images, networking and installed software
• A blueprint for creating an environment
• Region specific
• A building block for courses, events and environments.

Unallocated pool

Unallocated pool provides a way to pre-provision environments within a self-paced course. When an end user launches a course, instead of having to wait for the environment to build, they are given an environment from the unallocated pool, allowing for instant access.

Usage

Usage is a measurement of the consumption of VLU and storage resources in Heropa. When an environment is launched, VLUs and disk storage start to be consumed by the virtual machines used in the environment.

VM Image

A VM Image is a template of a virtual machine. VM Images can be imported for use in Templates, and become live virtual machines when launched as an Environment. 

Workspace

The workspace is a web-based interface that provides end-users with access to environments, courses and events. No additional software installations or browser plugins are required to access the workspace.