APPLICATION OF PRE-CONFIGURED VIRTUAL LABORATORIES IN ASTRONOMY EDUCATION: TECHNICAL SIMPLIFICATION AND SCENARIO ADAPTATION
L. Mi, C. Cui, C. Li, H. Jun, S. Li, S. Yang, Y. Mao
The National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CHINA)
Astronomy education has long faced challenges with cross-platform deployment complexities of data processing tools and the difficulty in meeting diverse teaching scenario requirements. To address these issues, this study proposes a private cloud-based virtual laboratory solution. By integrating KVM virtualization and automated orchestration technologies, we developed a pre-configured environment generation system supporting multiple Linux distributions (Ubuntu/CentOS/Scientific Linux). The system employs a hierarchical data management architecture, combining template-embedded datasets, shared storage, and self-managed download zones, while supporting three core teaching scenarios: live classroom demonstrations, coursework, and exam assessments.
From 2015 to 2024, this system was implemented in 5 courses, including Multi-Wavelength Astronomical Observation and Data Processing at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Practical Astronomical Observation at Sun Yat-sen University.
Empirical results demonstrate:
1) Student environment setup time was reduced from an average of 4 weeks to 30 minutes;
2) The system supports concurrent operation of 120 virtual machines during peak usage periods;
3) Pre-configured templates exhibit cross-program reusability, with graduate-level course templates being adapted for doctoral dissertation research.
This study demonstrates that the proposed design effectively reduces technical barriers in computational workflows and provides a scalable framework for teaching innovation in data-driven disciplines.
Keywords: Virtual Observatory, Astronomy Education, Cloud Computing, Pre-Configured Environments, Teaching Scenarios.