Which Virtualization Technology is Right for My Online IT Educational Labs?

Many IT labs require virtualization technology as students need to learn several software tools and operating systems. In an online setting, students sometimes are expected to fill the role of an IT lab architect by installing, configuring, deploying lab tasks on their personal computers, and deciding the virtualization technology needed. This can be intimidating and time-consuming for many students. Further, students often use traditional virtualization technology that is neither needed nor justified costing students significant time, effort, and computing resources. Existing studies discuss virtualization technology appropriateness in the context of industrial applications. This study, however, explores potential virtualization technologies that can be utilized in an academic setting by means of case studies that reflect our experience in transforming the labs of one of our courses. This study assesses virtualization technology suitability in online academic labs in terms of networking, setup time, feasibility, storage, and performance.