Adding lab actions to a course in Course Manager by Skytap
Use lab actions to allow lab end users to do one of the following by clicking an action in the Lab Actions menu in the Learning Console:
- Display a VM in their Skytap environment.
- Execute an interactive or system command in a VM in their Skytap environment.
- Execute a script in the Course Manager Script Host.
- Access a resource through a browser, SSH, or VNC connection in the Course Manager Virtual Browser.
Contents
Adding a lab action to a course
To add a lab action to a course
- From the Course Manager navigation bar, click Courses. The Courses page displays.
- Click the name of the course that you want to edit. The details page for the course displays.
- On the course details page, click the Course actions drop-down menu, and then click Lab actions.
- Click
(Add) on the right side of the page to add a lab action. The lab action properties display. - (Optional) Click (Add) again to add additional lab actions. The lab action properties display for each one.
-
Configure the properties for each lab action.
Notes
- To delete an action, click
(Delete) next to the action. - To move an action one earlier in a list of actions, click
(Move earlier) next to the action. - To move an action one later in a list of actions, click
(Move later) next to the action. - Click
(Edit) next to an action to hide the action properties, or to display them if they are hidden.
- To delete an action, click
- Click Update lab actions. The details page for the course displays.
Lab action properties
When you add a lab action, configure its properties.
The list of available properties depends on the type of lab action you choose.
Property Name
Description
Type
The type of lab action. Choose from one of the following types:
- Line break – Display a solid line between two lab actions in the Learning Console.
-
Switch to VM – Display a VM in the lab end user’s Skytap environment.
When a lab end user interacts with switch to VM actions, Course Manager displays this activity on the lab end user’s Activity page and Course Manager reports.
- Interactive command – For information about interactive command actions, see Using command shortcuts and actions.
- System command – For information about system command actions, see Using command shortcuts and actions.
- Script – For information about script actions, see Using script shortcuts, script actions, and lifecycle scripts.
- Virtual Browser – For information about Virtual Browser actions, see Using Virtual Browser shortcuts and actions.
Icon
The name of the Bootstrap icon to display for the lab action.
Display Text
The display text for the lab action.
Description (optional)
The text that displays when the lab end user hovers over the lab action.
Notes
- If you leave Description blank, it defaults to the Display text.
- Description followed by (action) displays in the Activity Name field on the lab end user's Activity page for switch to VM actions.
- Description followed by (action) displays in the Activity Name field on the lab end user's Activity page and the event Activity Summary page for command, script, and Virtual Browser actions.
Command to execute
The command that should be executed in the VM when the lab end user clicks the lab action.
Command to execute displays in the Activity Data field on the lab end user’s Activity page and the Last Activity Data field on the event Activity Summary page after the command terminates or completes.
Script to execute
The script package that contains the script that should be executed when the lab end user clicks the lab action.
Script to execute displays in the Activity Data field on the lab end user’s Activity page and the Last Activity Data field on the event Activity Summary page after the script terminates or completes.
Timeout (seconds)
The number of seconds to wait before terminating the lab action if it hasn’t yet completed.
Notes
- To disable the timeout, set Timeout (seconds) to 0.
- If you set a non-zero command timeout, the command will terminate after the timeout period only if:
- CMHelper version 1.1.9 or newer is in use for interactive commands.
- CMSysHelper version 1.0.2 or newer is in use for system commands.
- When you choose the Spin until done and notify of result invocation behavior and set a non-zero timeout:
- A failure notification displays to the lab end user if the command or script terminates due to a timeout (unless the command or script was designed to succeed if it terminates).
- If Course Manager loses connection with the VM before the command or script terminates or completes:
- Unknown displays in the Result field on the lab end user's Activity page and the Last Result field on the event Activity Summary page.
- The timeout displays in the Activity Data field on the lab end user's Activity page and the Last Activity Data field on the event Activity Summary page.
Target VM name (optional)
The Skytap name of the VM to target when the lab action is clicked. To target multiple VMs that include a common string in their Skytap name, type the common string.
Notes
- If Target VM name is blank for an interactive command, the command is executed in every VM in the lab end user's Skytap environment that has CMHelper available for use.
- If Target VM name is blank for a system command, the command is executed in every VM in the lab end user's Skytap environment that has CMSysHelper available for use.
- Target VM name is required for switch to VM lab actions.
- Target VM name displays in the Activity Data field on the lab end user's Activity page for switch to VM actions.
Invocation behavior
The invocation behavior for the lab action. Choose from one of the following behaviors:
- Spin until done – Display
in the command or script action and 
as the Lab Actions menu icon while the VM executes the command or script, but don’t display an alert dialog box to notify the lab end user whether or not the command or script succeeds. - Spin until done and notify of result – Display in the command or script action and as the Lab Actions menu icon while the VM executes the command or script, and display an alert dialog box to notify the lab end user whether or not the command or script succeeds.
- None – Don’t display in the command or script action or as the Lab Actions menu icon while the VM executes the command or script, and don’t display an alert dialog box to notify the lab end user whether or not the command or script succeeds.
Notes
- The title and content of the alert dialog box include the text from Description.
displays in the script action and 
displays as the Lab Actions menu icon while Course Manager provisions and starts the Script Host regardless of which Invocation behavior you choose.
Switch to VM (optional)
Choose whether the VM that receives and accepts the command displays when the command is executed.
Notes
- Switch to VM is available only for interactive commands.
- If you're using CMHelper version 1.1.9 or newer, Switch to VM works even if Target VM name is blank.
- If multiple VMs in the lab environment receive and accept the command, any one of these VMs may display.
Application
Choose whether the Virtual Browser connects to its destination using a Browser, SSH, or VNC connection.
Notes
- If Application is set to Browser, the Virtual Browser uses a streamlined version of Firefox to connect with the destination.
- If Application is set to SSH, the Virtual Browser uses AutoSSH to persistently try SSH connections.
- If Application is set to VNC, the Virtual Browser establishes a desktop connection to a VNC-compatible server.
- Application should be set to VNC only if Virtual Browser v10 or newer is in use.
- Application displays in the Activity Data field on the lab end user's Activity page and the Last Activity Data field on the event Activity Summary page after the Virtual Browser responds to the connection request.
Destination
The destination that the Virtual Browser should connect to when the lab action is clicked. The Destination can be external or within the lab end user’s Skytap environment.
Notes
- If Application is set to Browser, Destination must be a URL.
- If Application is set to SSH, Destination must be a hostname or IP address.
- If Application is set to VNC, Destination must be entered as
<password>@<hostname>:<port_number>. If port number is omitted, 5900 is used. - Destination displays in the Activity Data field on the lab end user's Activity page and the Last Activity Data field on the event Activity Summary page after the Virtual Browser responds to the connection request.
Identifier
The unique identifier for the Virtual Browser action. If the lab end user has already clicked a Virtual Browser lab action or Manual shortcut with the same Identifier, they will return to the existing instance.
Identifier displays in the Activity Data field on the lab end user’s Activity page and the Last Activity Data field on the event Activity Summary page after the Virtual Browser responds to the connection request.