What Exactly Are Fresh-Start, Trainer, Participant, and Standalone Machines?
DaDesktop is a modern training platform that offers convenient cloud-based desktops for courses along with admin tools that make managing course machines straightforward.
To support this, DaDesktop employs several desktop machine types that are similar yet distinct to suit different course needs.
Below you’ll find a summary of each machine type.
Fresh-Start Machine
A 'Fresh-Start' machine is where trainers build and polish the course content. When ready, this machine is cloned to every participant's desktop for the upcoming course. It's essentially a ‘golden image’ that can be restored if issues occur on the trainer's or participants' systems.
Trainer Machine
A 'Trainer' machine is the presenter's workstation, where the trainer delivers course content to participants. This machine evolves from the Fresh-Start state as the trainer installs, configures, and runs the necessary software and libraries for the subject matter.
If more than one trainer leads the course, each will have their own dedicated trainer machine.
Participant Machine
A 'Participant' machine is each learner's hands-on setup, where they can install, configure, and complete exercises under the trainer's supervision.
Fresh-Start, Trainer and Participant machines are usually automatically removed shortly after the course ends. That's why one additional machine type exists—unlinked to any course—called a 'Standalone', which you can retain indefinitely.
Standalone Machine
A 'Standalone' machine is one that isn't directly tied to a course. It exists independently, so you can use it before, after, or completely apart from any course. This independence makes it especially versatile.
Common reasons to create a standalone desktop include:
- Developing training materials that can be reused whatever the course context, or kept for future use.
- When you need a flexible machine—perhaps with a different operating system like Linux or Windows—to safely test ideas in an isolated environment.