Lab Environment Setup¶

Provision and validate all lab environments at least 12 hours before the session.

Overview¶

Each track has its own specific environment setup requirements based on the products and technologies covered. Select the appropriate track below to view detailed setup instructions.

Pre-requirement¶

Create your IBMid

Track-Specific Setup Guides¶

Track 01 — Boost productivity with AI agents

Setup for watsonx Orchestrate, watsonx.governance, and IBM Bob
Track 02 — Maximize the value of enterprise data

Setup for watsonx.data, Guardium, and Planning Analytics
Track 03 — Automate technology and operations

Setup for Terraform, Cloudability, Kubecost, Instana, Concert, and more
Track 04 — Work across all environments effectively with hybrid cloud

Setup for PowerVS, Fusion, and Flush

General Guidelines¶

Regardless of track, follow these universal best practices:

Timing¶

Provision environments at least 24 hours before the session
Never leave provisioning to the morning of the session
Allow time for validation and troubleshooting

Credentials Management¶

Create one account per attendee (~20 total)
Prepare credentials in a secure, organized format
Distribute credentials on the day — not in advance
This prevents pre-session tinkering that could break environment state

Validation¶

Test each environment before the session
Verify network connectivity and access
Confirm all required resources are provisioned
Check that sample data/configurations are loaded

Teardown¶

Deprovision all environments within 48 hours after the session
This avoids unnecessary cost or license usage
Document any issues encountered for future sessions

Support¶

If you encounter issues during environment setup:

Check the track-specific troubleshooting guide
Verify network and authentication settings
Consult the FAQ Handling Guide
Contact the technical support team if needed