This article defines Collaborative Labs and describes their use cases.
Collaborative Labs Overview
Collaborative Labs --sometimes referred to as multiple user labs, cyber (range) labs, or shared labs-- represent a common feature set that provides a different learning experience compared to traditional labs.
In traditional labs, environments are isolated; each user works independently and cannot affect another user's work. In contrast, Collaborative Labs simulate real-world scenarios by connecting all learners into a single shared environment, where one learner's actions can impact others.
Skillable Collaborative Labs are built around a shared network that all learners connect to, giving them access to a common set of resources. Since they require teamwork, Collaborative Labs are designed for instructor-led events rather than self-paced learning.
Collaborative Lab Use Cases
Cyber Range
Often describes as Red Team vs. Blue Team labs, this was the first major use case for Collaborative Labs. In these scenarios, the Blue Team is responsible for defending and securing a network infrastructure, while the Red Team attempts to infiltrate the network to steal a secret or disable a service.
Collaborative Software
This use case can teach learners how to work with collaborative applications. When training on software for things like project management or software development lifecycle (SDLC) tools in an isolated environment, the experience often doesn't reflect how the application behaves in a real workplace. Collaborative Labs address this gap by simulating real-world conditions, giving learners hands-on experience with the way these tools function in practice.
Enterprise Infrastructure
Organizations often want their training environments to be as close to real work as possible. Collaborative Labs make this possible by providing shared access to resources across all learners. This setup creates a realistic experience that helps learners transfer skills directly to their actual roles.
Designing Collaborative Labs
When building a Collaborative Lab, you'll include at least two Lab Profiles. The first represents the shared components that all learners can access, and the second is a learner environment. The image below shows the simplest configuration of a Collaborative Lab, where the shared lab profile provides only a network that connects all the learner environments together:
You can also build more complex environments that include resources in the shared lab profile, along with multiple virtual machines in each learner's environment. The example below shows two shared servers on the shared network, while each learner's environment includes two virtual machines (e.g., one Windows VM and one Linux VM):
Next Steps
- See our instructions on Creating and Delivering Shared Labs.