Learning Outcomes
- Understand the purpose and functionality of the Workbench feature.
- Understand Workbench Templates.
What is a Workbench?
The Workbench feature in Via Foundry offers on-demand access to interactive data science environments, preconfigured with essential tools for researchers. Users can swiftly launch and manage isolated, cloud-hosted instances of JupyterLab or RStudio directly within their workspace, eliminating the need for infrastructure setup or maintenance.
What is a Template?
A Template is a ready-to-use setup for launching a virtual machine (VM) with the right tools and settings for your work. Instead of configuring each VM from scratch, you simply pick a template—like one built for image analysis, data visualization, or genomics—and Workbench handles the rest. Templates save time, ensure consistency, and make it easy to get started with the right environment for your research.
What You Can Do with Workbench
- Launch ready-to-use environments with a single click.
- Choose from prebuilt templates, such as:
- Image Bench (Jupyter Labs / RStudio / QuPath / VSCode / Napari)
- Jupyter Notebook
- Rstudio - Single Cell
- Rstudio
- Visualize results using familiar tools in a secure, containerized virtual machine.
- Collaborate easily by sharing reproducible environments tailored to your needs.
Available Workbenches
Navigate to the Available Workbench tab to view a list of templates configured by your team or organization. Each entry comprises the following details:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The environment type (e.g., Jupyter Notebook, RStudio) |
| Description | Tool versions and pre-installed packages |
| Last Modified | The date when the template was last updated |
| Date Created | The date when the environment was initially added |
| Owner | The user or admin who created the workbench |
| Options | A Launch button to initiate your own workbench running that environment |