Using shared drives

Windows VMs in an event can be configured to show a shared drive that can be accessed by hosts, instructors and participants in the event. This is typically used to facilitate file sharing during an event. 

Why Use Shared Drives?

Shared drives exist to make it easy for instructors and students to exchange files during an event.

• Instructors can provide resources, exercises, or datasets directly into each student VM.
• Students can upload their work or submit files back to the shared space.
• Everyone participating in the event sees the same drive contents, ensuring consistency.

Behind the scenes, each shared drive maps to a folder in your company’s dedicated S3 bucket.

How Shared Drives Work

When you configure an event with a shared drive, you assign it a name:

• New name: creates a new, empty shared drive location.

• Existing name: reuses the same location and contents across events.

This means you can either start fresh for each event or build up a reusable file structure.

Common Use Cases

Unique Drive Per Event (Simplest Case)

Give each event a unique shared drive name (for example, the event number).

• Each class starts with a blank drive.

• Ensures no carry-over from previous events.

• Useful when you want isolation between training sessions.

Reusable Drive Structures

Use the same shared drive name across multiple events.

• Allows instructors to pre-populate folders and files (for example, /Exercises, /Solutions, /Reference).

• Helpful for standardized training programs where content remains the same across sessions.

Preset Folder Hierarchies

Admins can create a folder structure in advance within the S3 bucket using desktop utilities.

• • Supports organizing files by course or module.

  • Ensures consistency across recurring events.

Tip: For most events, use drag-and-drop. Desktop utilities are helpful when you need reusable structures or bulk file management.

Uploading Files During an Event

Instructors don’t need extra tools—files can be uploaded directly from the Heropa interface:

• Drag and Drop: The easiest method. Simply drag a file into the browser window, and it will upload into the shared drive.

• VM Gear Menu: Click the gear icon on a VM tile, choose Shared Drive, and select files to upload via the dialog.

Advanced Option: Desktop Utilities

For administrators or instructors who want to prepare content in advance or manage larger file sets, you can connect directly to the S3 bucket using a desktop utility.

To connect:

1. Generate API and Secret keys in Heropa (see Generating S3 credentials).

2. Use those credentials to connect to the bucket.

Windows: S3 Browser

macOS: Transmit

To gain access to the S3 bucket, you will need an API and Secret key. These can be obtained from within Heropa as follows: 

Generating S3 credentials

1. In the left hand navigation menu, select VM Images, then select the Import tab.
2. Select Upload, then in the Upload details modal, complete the following information: 
   • Region: Choose US East (N. Virginia)
   • Select Generate credentials
   • API and Secret key details will appear
3. Use the credentials generated in Heropa to connect to the S3 bucket from your desktop utility of choice.