• Course Manager by Skytap overview
  • Instructor-led training overview
  • On-demand labs overview
• Preparing a template
  • Installing CMHelper on a VM
  • Installing CMSysHelper on a VM
• Creating a course
  • Adding learning content to a course
    • Editing a Manual
  • Adding lab actions to a course
  • Adding script packages to a course
  • Adding lifecycle scripts to a course
  • Editing a course
  • Deleting a course
  • Previewing the Learning Console
• Creating and managing instructor-led training events
  • Creating and scheduling an event
    • Adding learning content to an event
    • Customizing email messages for an event
    • Editing an event
    • Deleting an event
  • Preparing for the event
  • Delivering the event
  • Viewing the event activity summary
  • Using event scheduling
    • Scheduling a recurrent event
    • Scheduling a non-recurrent event
    • Viewing event schedules
    • Using delayed provisioning
• Creating and managing on-demand labs
  • Using consumption control measures
  • Creating a lab
    • Adding learning content to a lab
    • Deleting a lab
  • Managing labs
  • Using the request portal – a guide for Lab and Event Manager users
• Using the Learning Console – a guide for lab end users
  • Using the Manual in the Learning Console
  • Using Resources in the Learning Console
  • Using File Drop in the Learning Console
• Viewing Learning Console activity
• Managing your user account
• Administering Course Manager by Skytap
  • Managing users
  • Managing account settings
    • Editing an email body
  • Using tags with Course Manager
  • Using commands, scripts, and the Virtual Browser
  • Using custom data attributes
  • Using metadata attributes
  • Using the Course Manager API
  • Course Manager Reporting
  • Using Course Manager fields for Skytap reporting
• Course Manager FAQ

Scheduling a non-recurrent event with Course Manager

Non-recurrent event environments run for the entire duration of the event and are automatically deleted after the event ends. When scheduling a non-recurrent event environment, Course Manager picks an initial start time and a final delete time.

How Course Manager selects start times for non-recurrent event environments

• Course Manager adds at least one hour of buffer (configurable for your account) before the event start time.
• Course Manager groups the environments for your event into batches based on their Metered RAM value, the initial template power state (shut down or suspended), and Skytap region.
• Course Manager schedules the batches to start in five-minute intervals, working backward from the beginning of the buffer before the event start time.
  • For example, you create Class to begin at 8:00 AM and add 15 participants to the event. Based on the workload size, Course Manager determines that it’s safe to schedule three batches of five participant environments to start at a time. Working backwards from the beginning of the buffer, Course Manager schedules three batches to start in five-minute intervals so that the final batch starts at 7:00 AM, the middle batch starts at 6:55 AM, and the first batch starts at 6:50 AM.

  

• If another event already occupies a time slot in the same Skytap region, Course Manager picks the next available time slot.
  • For example, after adding 15 participants to Class, which begins at 8:00 AM, you create Demo, which also begins at 8:00 AM on the same day and in the same region, and you add 15 participants to it. Because the 6:50 AM, 6:55 AM, and 7:00 AM start time slots are already occupied by the batches for Class participants, the batches for Demo start earlier—at 6:45 AM, 6:40 AM, and 6:35 AM.

  

• If no time slots are available between the time you create the event and the beginning of the buffer, Course Manager schedules environments to start at the next available time slot after the beginning of the buffer.
  • For example, at 6:30 AM, with Class and Demo already scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM, you create Special also scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM in the same region, and you add 15 participants to it. The batches for Special are scheduled to start at 7:05 AM, 7:10 AM, etc. because all time slots earlier than 7:00 AM are already occupied by the batches for Class and Demo participants.
• Participants provisioned in different Skytap regions may receive overlapping start time slots.
  • For example, after adding 15 participants to Class, which begins at 8:00 AM, you create Workshop, which also begins at 8:00 AM with a similar number of participants but in a different region. The batches for Workshop are scheduled to start at 7:00 AM, 6:55 AM and 6:50 AM.
• If no time slots are available between the time you create the environment and the time the event begins, Course Manager schedules environments to start at the next available time after the event begins.
• If no time slots are available between the time you create the environment and the time the event ends, Course Manager doesn’t schedule environments to start (no start action is set on the Skytap schedule). You can start environments manually.
• If an event has already begun and you add participants to it, Course Manager starts the participant environments at the next available time slot, based on the schedule of the event.

How Course Manager selects delete times for non-recurrent event environments

• Course Manager adds at least one hour of buffer (configurable for your account) after the event end time to make sure that the event has concluded.
• Course Manager groups the environments for your event into batches, based on their Metered RAM value and Skytap region.
• Course Manager schedules the batches for deletion in five-minute intervals, working forward from the end of the buffer after the event end time.
  • For example, Class, with 15 participants, is scheduled to end at 5:00 PM. The first batch of five environments is scheduled for deletion at 6:00 PM. The next batch of five environments is scheduled for deletion at 6:05 PM, and the final five environments are scheduled for deletion at 6:10 PM.
• If a time slot is already fully occupied by other participant environments from any event, Course Manager picks a later time slot.
  • For example, Demo also ends at 5:00 PM on the same day as Class and has participants provisioned in the same region. Because the batches for Class already occupy the 6:00 PM, 6:05 PM, and 6:10 PM time slots, the batches for Demo are scheduled for deletion at 6:15 PM, 6:20 PM, and 6:25 PM.
• Participants provisioned in different Skytap regions may receive overlapping delete time slots.
  • For example, the participant environments for Workshop—in a different region—are also scheduled for deletion at the same time as those for Class, at 6:00 PM, 6:05 PM, and 6:10 PM.