Windows Workstations

Introduction

In this tutorial you will learn about using Windows Workstations on JuliaHub.

Getting Started

Windows Workstations are an optional feature on JuliaHub. If your JuliaHub installation has them enabled and if your account has authorization to use them, you should be able to access it.

You can use Windows Workstation from the homepage

Another option that you can use to start is by navigating to the applications section and click "Launch" at the bottom.

Once you click launch, you will be required to configure the Machine Type and set the Time Limit. In this demo, I have selected 8 vCPUs, 64GB Memory and set the Time Limit for 4 hours.

You can also select the access option for the different users or keep the access to yourself.

Once connected, you should see a familiar Windows Desktop. You may find icons for applications that have been installed for you on the desktop or the Windows start menu.

Juliahub also provides few basic shortcut options that you can easily use to Upload a File from your local computer or Download a File to your local computer.

File Viewer

As shown in the above image you can click on Juliahub Drive which is a File Viewer so access all your personal files or projects.

File Management

To upload a file from the local computer to the Windows Workstation desktop on JuliaHub, drag it from your local Desktop and drop it anywhere on the Windows desktop or you can also use "File Upload" shortcut icon to upload a file. Next, in the Windows Workstation desktop. You may be prompted by your browser to allow the file transfer. The file should appear there once it is successfully uploaded.

Similarly, to download a file from the Windows Workstation to the local system, drag and drop the file into "File Download" and it will save the file in your local computer. Once the transfer is complete, a prompt to save the file would appear.

Once the file is transferred, a button to save it to the local system should appear. Clicking on the save button should pop up the familiar screen of your local system that lets you choose where to save the file.

This shortcuts can be use to manage your personal or project files easily for small files. The largest size of file allowed depends on the configuration of your JuliaHub installation, but would usually be limited to less than few tens of MBs. For larger files, other transfer mechanisms like JuliaHub DataSets, Shared Disks, or AWS S3 should be used.

Clipboard Transfer

Clipboard contents can be transferred between the local system and JuliaHub Windows Workstation. To transfer clipboard contents from the Windows Workstation to the local system, click on the "Clipboard Get" button visible on the bottom bar. Similarly, to transfer it from the local system to the Windows Workstation, click on the "Clipboard Set" button. You may be prompted to allow the transfer.

Watch example video

Workstation Customization by Administrators

Administrators can create custom Windows Workstation images to standardize environments for their teams. This feature allows you to pre-install software, configure settings, and set up specialized tools, then make these customized environments available to specific users or groups.

Overview

The image creation workflow consists of three main steps:

1. Customize: Start a workstation and install applications, configure settings, or add files as needed
2. Capture: Create an image from the customized workstation
3. Deploy: Make the image available to users or groups who can then launch workstations based on it

Common use cases for custom images include:

• Pre-installing specialized software packages or development environments
• Configuring domain-specific tools and libraries
• Setting up standardized configurations for research teams
• Installing licensed software that requires specific setup

When users have access to custom images, they see them as launch options when creating new workstations. Users can access multiple images if they belong to different groups with varying permissions.

Creating a Custom Image

To create a custom workstation image, administrators must have access to launch workstations themselves. Follow these steps:

1. Launch and customize a workstation with your desired software and configuration

2. Navigate to the job details page of your running workstation. You'll find the "Create Image" button in the job controls as shown below:

   

3. Configure the image details by clicking "Create Image". This opens a dialog where you'll specify:

   • Name: A descriptive name for your image
   • Description: Details about what's installed or configured
   • Access Options: Select which users or groups can access this image

   

Note: Administrators can only create images from workstations they own and are currently running.

Monitoring Image Creation

Image creation runs as a background process and can take up to and hour or more depending on the workstation size and customizations. During this time, you can monitor progress through the Workstation Images management screen:

The management screen shows:

• Image status (creating, ready, failed)
• Creation timestamps
• Original job information
• Available actions (Edit, Delete)

Managing Existing Images

Once created, you can update image properties at any time:

Available management options include:

• Update descriptions to reflect changes or provide additional context
• Modify access controls to add or remove users and groups
• Delete images that are no longer needed (this action cannot be undone)

Building on Existing Images

You can create new images based on existing ones by:

1. Launching a workstation using an existing custom image as the base
2. Making additional customizations
3. Creating a new image from the modified workstation

To do this, the administrator must have access to the base image, which can be granted during initial image creation or added later through the image management interface.