This next-generation Virtual Reality training tool brings real Windows Servers and Clients into a usable 3D World. You can physically create (‘spawn’) and connect working PCs, set up networks, and diagnose problems:

A working PC in a virtual world

Creative usage of virtualisation, and transporting information to and from the 3D world, allowed you to walk around an environment and seamlessly operate computers as though you were standing in front of them, without needing a virtual desktop window. That means the computer above really worked.

The systems themselves were actually running behind the scenes as virtual machines elsewhere. Oracle’s VirtualBox engine was used to handle that transparently.

You could sit in lessons and watch videos, and interact with other students:

A classroom overview, with working equipment

The software was also capable of spawning hundreds of systems and configuring them for you as you watched it do so, going so far as to set up entire domains and forests, and switching systems as it went. It did this in a human-simulated fashion with the keyboard and mouse, physically recognising text, buttons and windows, and was not automated using Powershell or the Command Prompt. This was tested with 254 systems (at which point our IP address allocation for the room was exhausted). Windows Server exhibits ‘interesting’ difficulties when entire networks are constructed, whilst the services are only just getting ready.

You could learn about, and explore PC components too, in other areas of the map:

Note that this software was written for a previous employer, which means I do not hold the licence, and cannot sell it myself.