Building a Portable Computer Lab with Bootable USB Hard Drives Using Virtualisation

Centralization of\udservices\udis a global trend in universities worldwide.\udIT\udservices\udin\uda\uduniversity\udbecome\uda\udsolo department to provide\udcommon\udIT support\udfor\udthe\udentire university community such as\udstaff, students\udand visitors.\udSpecial\udservices required for Computer Science and Information Technology courses\udare\udquite\udoften\udnot\udpart\udof IT\udservice agreements. The shared common computer labs are tightly controlled by IT\udservices and could not be used to deliver some specialised\udcourse\udsuch as Microsoft Active Directory\udConfiguration and Management. A dedicated computer lab is no longer\uda\udviable option to provide a\udpractical\udsolution with\udthree-year University leased\udcomputers. The challenge\udin providing a long-term\udsolution\udheavily relies\udon the individual academic\udstaffs\udwho deliver\udsuch courses.\udThere is\udan\udurgent need\udto find\uda new long-term\udworking\udsolution\udfor\udthis\udproblem.\udAfter\udnumerous\udsearch and research\udin\udfinding\udan optimal solution,\uda portable computer lab using virtualisation is\udproposed.\udInstead of\udusing a desktop\udcomputer\udin a common lab, each student enrolled in the\udcourse\udsuch as Microsoft Active Directory\udis\udallocated a\udcustomised\udUSB hard dive. The USB drive contains a bootable Windows 7 Operating System\udas\udwell as\udsix Windows Servers\udoperated under Micro\udsoft Windows Virtual PC.\udThis\udnot only allows\udthe\udstudents\udto\uduse\uda\udcommon\udcomputer lab but also\udenable them\udto totally control\udtheir\udlearning with\udflexibility\udwhich was\udnot\udachievable\udin the past.\udThis paper\udaims to share the knowledge as well as tricks and tips\udgained\udthrough the process and to provide step by step instructions\udfor\udbuilding the customised USB hard\uddive.\udIt is expected that the concept of a ‘portable’\udcomputer lab using virtualisation will\udprovide insight\udinto delivery of IT courses\udin the\udfuture