Step-by-Step Guide to book a Pod Using the Reservation System

Students can reserve pods remotely using the Reservation System for lab work.

To book a pod, please follow this guide and visit the reservation site at: https://reservations.networkinglab.ca/

If you can't log in to the reservation system, submit a ticket here so we can assist you.

Upon reaching the site, log in using your networking lab credentials (student ID and password). You’ll find a user-friendly interface displaying a calendar view of the available pods for the day. You can select a date using the date selector at the top left corner on the calendar, or simply click on the arrow buttons next to "Today" to make an advance reservation.

At the top of the page, you’ll see a dropdown menu under the date. If you’re a first-year student, please select the “1st Year Pods - Data Centre” option. If you’re in your second year or above, please select the “Networking Lab - SIRC 4130” option.

After making your selection, you can choose the pod and the time you wish to reserve. The pods are listed as columns, and the available time slots are clearly marked. Click on the time slot for the pod you want to reserve. For instance, if I want to book Pod 2 at 10:30 PM, I would click on that time slot like so:

Please note that the times displayed on the reservation system are in 24-hour format. This means that hours are numbered from 00 to 23, with 00 representing midnight and 23 representing 11 PM. Be sure to keep this in mind when making your reservations.

Now, refer to the screenshot and continue with the steps below:

1. Add a brief or detailed description of your reservation. This helps the administrators understand your purpose and assist with troubleshooting if needed.
2. Specify your reservation time using the “Start” and “End” dropdown menus. Note that a student can only have one reservation of 3 hours at a time.
3. Ensure your desired pod is highlighted in the “Pods” section. Set the Type to “Internal”, and Privacy Status to “Private”. Leave the Repeat Type as “None”.
4. Ensure there are no red cross marks at the bottom next to the “Save” button. If there are, click on them to view and resolve the specified conflict or issue.
5. Click “Save”.

After your reservation has been successfully added to the system, you will receive an email at your Ontario Tech University email account with the information needed to access the pod. This email will contain the start and end times of the reservation, as well as the address, port, and login information to connect to the pod. Use an SSH Client to connect to the pods (SecureCRT or PUTTY) specifying the address and port given in the email. Use the username and password from the email to log in to the pod. Remember that the password will expire exactly when your reservation ends. Below is an example:

You’ll receive a warning message 10 minutes prior to the end of your reservation. Please erase and reload your devices when you receive this warning message to ensure the pod is ready for the next user. Don’t forget to delete vlan.dat.