Getting started - general guide

Introduction

Purpose of this article is to provide you of the most essential links and knowledge to get you first started on myDRE platform.

Getting started

Requesting a new myDRE account

Activating your @myDRE account

What is a workspace?

How to request a workspace?

Is your organisation not a customer yet? Please contact pascalle.broer@mydre.org for more information

Navigating inside your workspace

In this section we provide information regarding different sections of your workspace.

Virtual machines

Adding and deleting virtual machines

New workspaces are generated without existing virtual machines. Before you can start your analysis within myDRE, please deploy your first virtual machine.

Please read more on different types of virtual machines here:

Workspace Accountable or Privileged member is able to perform this action.

Adding virtual machine

Deleting virtual machine
Before deletion, virtual machine needs to be deallocated.

Starting, connecting and stopping virtual machines

Virtual machines can have different states, depending on the state you are able to perform actions on the virtual machine. In order to connect to a VM, it needs to be started and have status Running. Please do not forget to deallocate the VM once done with your work, to prevent costs from incurring.

Starting VM to connect:

Connecting to a VM via RDP:

RDP file is downloaded, once you open RDP file, enter your @myDRE.org credentials and click OK

Some institutions do not allow RDP files to be downloaded. In that case Bastion connection can be used. When RDP connection is not allowed usually the "1-2-3 error" is shown, read more on that here.

Connecting to a VM via Bastion:

Enter your @mydre.org credentials in Azure portal in order to connect to your VM

Stopping VM once done:

Resizing virtual machine

Renaming virtual machine

Give your virtual machine a friendly name. You can also reset the name by clicking Reset to original.

Generalising virtual machine

When setting up a workspace and virtual machines, we advise to create a copy of the virtual machine where all correct configurations have been set. This saves time in case virtual machine fails and new virtual machine needs to be configured. Generalised image will appear in the create a VM menu once complete.

Please be aware that generalisation is irreversible and will create a snapshot of the original virtual machine while deleting the original VM.

Adjusting auto-shutdown

Installing software

anDREa does not provide software support. anDREa is tool and data agnostic - you are free to install any software on the virtual machine with your own licenses. Please contact your organisation's Support team member for software-related questions.

Software support

Be aware that some software might require external access for installation or might not be suitable for suitable. Please consult your own organisation or the software provider.

Files

Uploading your data

Data uploads do not require virtual machines. All workspace members (except Data reader) can upload data to the workspace. Data will be always placed in a timestamped folder within Inbox folder. There is no preview option in Files tab, you can view and edit files only within a virtual machine.