A data lab is where your data and pipelines are managed - the compute environment that runs scenarios and produces resources, applications and notes. The Space is the control plane that manages your labs (access, configuration, start/stop, backups). This page explains where to start creating a lab and the options available in the creation flow.
Where to start
You start a new lab from the Add new data lab button. It is available from two places:
- My labs page - the button sits in the page header, next to the My labs title.
- Dashboard - the My labs section shows an Add new data lab button (also offered inside the empty-state card when you have no labs yet).
Choosing a lab type
The Create data lab dialog opens with the available lab types. The exact choices depend on your space and account. The main options are:
Fair open access (free lab)
Selecting Fair open access shows a confirmation with the lab's monthly usage limit, CPU, RAM and storage. Confirming starts the free data lab directly - no further configuration is needed.
Free desktop
Selecting Free desktop opens a short form asking for two things:
- Name - the name of the lab.
- Platform - the operating system of your machine: Windows, Mac OS or Linux.
Request a paid lab (Cloud or On premise)
Under Or request a paid data lab, choose a type - Cloud or On premise - and describe what you plan to do with the lab in the free-text field. Submitting sends a request to the support team, who will contact you to set the lab up. This is a request, not an instant creation.
Configuring a cloud lab
When a full cloud lab is created, the configuration is a step-by-step form. You move through the steps in order and finish on a summary.
- Name - give the lab a name (required).
- Server - select the data lab usage, then the server and cloud provider, and the location (region) where the lab runs. The server card shows CPU, RAM and, when available, GPU, along with the price.
- Storage - choose the disk size for the lab, adjusted with plus/minus controls. The estimated monthly storage price updates as you change the size.
- Backups location - choose a region for the daily backup and a region for the weekly backup. For security, the daily and weekly backups must be in different regions; a region near your lab is recommended to reduce latency.
- Summary - review the name, server, storage and backup choices, then create the lab.
Once the lab is created, you are taken to the lab's detail page. Labs created as a request (Cloud or On premise) are handled by the support team, so nothing opens immediately after you submit.
