Virtual Machine Uses

The lab has several virtual machines on a server, that can be connected to at any time from any computer in the lab. These virtual machines have every version of ArcGIS from 10.1 and up. If a technician runs into a version specific error when running a tool or editing a file, they can easily connect to a virtual machine that does not have this problem, perform the operation necessary, and transfer the output back to their original workstation.

Connecting to  a virtual machine

This tutorial is meant to explain how to connect to the lab's virtual machines. If you run into a problem connecting to a virtual machine and require assistance, you can contact Braden Anderson at banderson1618@gmail.com.

Step 1: Connect to an authorized network.
The virtual machines can only be connected to from a network that is recognized by the server. Currently, it allows for connections from the Eccles Conference Center and from the Natural Resources building. If you are not on either of these networks, you will need to connect to the school's VPN.
Instructions for this are in the PDF.

Step 2: Open Remote Desktop Connection
You can open the Remote Desktop Connection program by pressing Win+R, typing in mstsc, and clicking OK, or by searching for "Remote Desktop Connection" in the start menu and choosing the top result. Once you do so, you should see a window pop up that looks like the picture below.

Step 3: Enter the Correct Computer Name
Once in the Remote Desktop Connection window, click the "Show Options" button in the bottom left corner. Choose the virtual machine to connect to from the list below, and enter the name into the "Computer" field. ​
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• etal-fhc-w10-arc-10-1.go.usu.edu * ArcGIS 10.1 is installed on this virtual machine
• etal-fhc-w10-arc-10-2.go.usu.edu * ArcGIS 10.2.2 is installed on this virtual machine
• etal-fhc-w10-arc-10-3.go.usu.edu * ArcGIS 10.3 is installed on this virtual machine
• etal-fhc-w10-arc-10-4.go.usu.edu * ArcGIS 10.4.1 is installed on this virtual machine
• etal-fhc-w10-arc-10-5.go.usu.edu * ArcGIS 10.5.1 is installed on this virtual machine
• etal-fhc-w10-arc-10-6.go.usu.edu * ArcGIS 10.6 is installed on this virtual machine

Step 4: Log onto the Remote Virtual Machine
Every virtual machine has the same user name: etal-fhc-vmuser
Once you have filled in the user name, click the "Connect" button. A dialogue box will pop up, asking for a password. The password for every virtual machine is: zqb1AfPv7poO@2G2

After entering a password, a warning may pop up, depending on your Windows settings. Click through them.

After that, you will be connected to the virtual machine, and will have full functionality. You can access the data that you need to through any method to transfer files online, such as through Box or through email.