Amazon Workspaces is a VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) that allows a user to securely connect to a cloud compute instance. SEAS Computing has bundled Solidworks and Comsol as applications which authorized SEAS users may utilize, and have opened up the SEAS licensing servers to these instances. 

Before you start using the Virtual Desktop (VD), please take note of the following:

• The VDs are to be used for the intended purposes only, i.e. class work if the VD is for a class.
• All commercial software made available on the VD should be used only for academic course work in the class for which the VD is made available. They may not be used for thesis work.

Please follow the instructions below to connect to your instance and utilize the applications you need.

1. Update your user account (est. time: 3 mins.)

AWS will send you an email when your instance is ready. It will let you know your user name and your registration code. Click on the link inside that email to be taken to a page where you can update your password for your user. Take note of the user name, password, and registration code.

                                                             Fig. 1 Sample Workspace Email

In the above sample email, I note:

a.- my registration code is SLiad+RRXU3W (This is the same registration code all SEAS users will receive)

b. - my user name is jdeanetest  (your user name will be different.  You will use this to log into the client)

c. - After I click on the link inside the email (labelled 1.), I will set up my password.

2. Install the Workspaces client (est. time 5 mins.)

After you update your user account, you will be asked to download the Workspaces client. Choose the correct download for your system. Once downloaded, install the program.

Clients can be downloaded at: https://clients.amazonworkspaces.com/

                                                       Fig. 2: Workspaces client download page           

3. Connect to your Workspace (est. time 3 mins)

Once you first run the Workspaces client, you will be asked for your registration code, which was included in the email sent to you. Enter your registration code. You will then be taken to a user logon box. This is where you enter your user name and password you created in step 1. If everything is correct, you will connect to your instance and be presented with your Workspaces desktop.

Please note that workspaces auto-stop after 1 being disconnected. This means when you re-connect to your workspace, you will see that it is resuming, and you will have to wait a minute or less for the workspace to resume. You will automatically be connected to your workspace when it is ready.

Fig. 3: Workspace resuming message after successful logon

Once connected to your workspace, use it as you would any other computer. Solidworks and Comsol shortcuts are in the desktop and also in the start menu.  No setup is required.  

When you log back in, your storage and applications are the same as when you left.

Notes:

File Transfers:

Use your Google Drive/OneDrive from your Harvard account, as it is the simplest way for you to utilize file transfers (depending on which platform your Harvard email is on).

VPN:

You do NOT have to be on VPN to access any license servers for Solidworks/Comsol. We built the VDI infrastructure to already have access to the license servers. Use your workspace as you would any lab machine.

Help on VDI:

Please send an email to help@seas.harvard.edu for any issues you experience with Workspaces. Use "SEAS VDI difficulties" in your subject line. Please do not send COMSOL and SOLIDWORKS related questions to this address.