FAQs

Platform Basics

What is Nuvolos?

Nuvolos is a unified, governed computational workspace for research and teaching, designed to operate across cloud and self-hosted infrastructures. It combines environment management, reproducibility, data governance, and HPC integration into a single system, enabling teams to run, share, and reproduce computational work without fragmenting tooling. Users work in fully versioned environments supporting Jupyter, RStudio, MATLAB, Stata, Julia, and other scientific applications, directly in the browser.

Who is Nuvolos for?

Nuvolos is used by research groups, data-intensive research institutes, research departments, and universities that need reproducible computational environments for research and teaching. Typical use cases include data science courses, econometrics, computational biology, ML/AI workloads, and cross-institution research projects.

How is Nuvolos deployed?

The default option is the cloud version. In this case both the compute and storage infrastructure is managed by us. We also support fully and partially self-managed options, where you own the cloud account or the infrastructure.

How long does it take to get started?

For Managed Cloud, a pilot environment can usually be provisioned within the day, with first courses or projects running within a few weeks. Self-managed deployments depend on your internal change processes and cloud/HPC setup.

How do you get users on board?

The Managed Cloud and self-managed version is an invitation based system - users receive e-mail based invitations to particular projects/areas of Nuvolos. We support AD/etc integration for self-managed user management.

What browsers or OS are supported/required/recommended?

Nuvolos is browser-based and works on any modern OS. Only the browser runs locally; compute and storage run in the cloud. We support Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox and Safari (latest versions). Chrome based browsers offer the most reliable performance. There is no need to have a local installation of Python/R/MATLAB.

Teaching & Education at Scale

Instructors

How does Nuvolos simplify course material distribution?

Nuvolos provides a centralized environment for course delivery. Instructors can push materials, assignments, and updates to all students at once - without needing to share files manually or manage multiple copies. Changes made in the instructor's space can be distributed to every student instance in a single action.

What tools are available for assignment management in Nuvolos?

Nuvolos supports the full assignment lifecycle in one place - from creating and distributing assignments to collecting and grading submitted work. Instructors do not need to switch between separate tools for each stage of the process.

How does Nuvolos ensure environment consistency among students?

Nuvolos eliminates the "it works on my machine" problem by ensuring every student runs the exact same software environment. Specialized or licensed software is made available directly through the platform - students do not need to install anything on their personal computers.

Can instructors track version changes in student assignments?

Yes. Nuvolos includes built-in version control for both course materials and student work. Instructors can track changes over time, ensure reproducibility, and revert to previous versions when needed - all without relying on external version control tools.

What is the Master instance and who can see it?

The Master instance is a special primary instance that exists in every space. It serves as the main source instance in a space, and it cannot be deleted or renamed like a regular instance.

Who can see or access it depends on their permissions in that space:

Users with access to the space can see the Master instance if they have been granted the necessary instance or space-level access.
In course spaces, content in the Master instance is not directly visible to students. Material must first be distributed before students can access it.
The Master instance itself is typically used by instructors, administrators, or other users preparing and managing shared content.

What's the difference between Faculty and Manager roles?

Faculty and Manager roles can both create and invite users to spaces. However, Manager has more extensive organizational control.

Faculty can:
- Create and manage spaces
- Automatically become space administrators in specific spaces
- Access Instance Viewer in certain Dataset spaces
- Distribute licensed content
Manager can:
- Manage organization membership and resources
- Invite additional Faculty or Managers
- Revoke or grant access to resources
- Monitor and manage resource usage
- Remove inactive projects

Do I need to re-distribute material when a new student joins mid-term?

No, if you originally distributed the material to all students, you do not need to distribute it again when a new student joins mid-term.

Distributions to all students are applied to both current and future student instances. New student instances are spawned from the Distributed instance, so late joiners automatically receive everything that was previously distributed.

You would only need to distribute again if you are adding new material or updating existing material.

Can I see what a student sees in their instance?

Yes. If you have viewer or editor access to a student’s instance in Nuvolos, you can open it and see exactly what the student sees. Access is strictly permission-based, so only instances you’ve been granted rights to are visible.

In most course setups, each student works in their own isolated instance, which must be accessed individually if needed. If you do not have the required permissions, the instance will not be accessible.

Do you support assignments and homeworks?

Yes. Nuvolos offers an assignment feature which lets you distribute and collect assignment and homework material in a safe, transparent and auditable way. Deadline management is trivialized. The feature also supports anonymization.

What's the difference between distributing material and creating an assignment?

Distribution is the general mechanism for sending material - such as files, folders, tables, applications, or snapshots - to students or other target instances.

An assignment is a specialized form of distribution used for coursework. It includes everything a standard distribution does, but adds structured features for teaching and assessment, such as deadlines, dedicated submission and feedback storage, an audit trail, and built-in workflows for submission, grading, and return of work.

As a rule of thumb: use distribution when sharing materials for students to use or explore, and use an assignment when students are expected to modify content and submit it for evaluation.

Can I edit material after I've distributed it?

Yes, you can still change material after distributing it.

The usual way is to distribute again with the updated version. In most cases, the recommended strategy is Overwrite, which replaces objects with the same name in the target. This is how you can correct or update files, tables, or applications that were already sent out.

If you distributed content to all students, the Distributed instance keeps the mass-distributed content. You can push new files there or overwrite existing ones by distributing again.

Do students need to install anything?

No. Students do not need to install any software to use Nuvolos. It runs entirely in a web browser, and the required applications are already pre-configured by the instructor.

What happens if a student deletes their work by accident?

If a student deletes work accidentally, recovery is usually possible through a few options:

First, check whether the application provides built-in recovery features (for example, JupyterLab checkpoints). Next, look at the student’s snapshots, where previous versions of files may be restored. If the files originated from course materials, they may also be recovered from the Distributed instance, which preserves the original content.

If none of these options help, contact support to explore additional recovery possibilities.

What happens if an instance reaches the quota?

If an instance reaches a quota before the quota end-date, then further credit utilisation is blocked. All running scaled applications are stopped and will not start until either a new current quota takes effect or the current quota is increased.

Can I set quota for a specific student?

No. Credit quotas may only be set on the course level and apply to all students and instances uniformly.

Does the quota apply to me as a lecturer?

Yes. We suggest testing crucial teaching material in a separate project.

How do I estimate the total credit usage of my course after I set the quota for my course?

The total credit usage is still unknown, but you can calculate the maximum budget used by multiplying the number of instances with the total quota allowance. The calculation differs for tiered and fixed schedules.

How does Nuvolos work alongside Learning Management Systems (Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard)?

Nuvolos is not a replacement for an LMS like Moodle, Canvas, or Blackboard. The LMS remains the system of record for enrolments, grades, announcements, and general course management. Nuvolos focuses on delivering the computational lab environment, teaching material that runs in that environment, and assignment workflows.

Can I use my institution's software licences (BYOL) when teaching on Nuvolos?

Yes. Nuvolos supports Bring Your Own License (BYOL) for teaching. Institutions can use their existing commercial software licenses, including tools like MATLAB, COMSOL, ArcGIS, Stata, and others, and make them available directly inside the student workspaces. Licensing remains under institutional control while Nuvolos handles the environment distribution and execution.

Is Nuvolos suitable for teaching large computational subjects at scale?

Yes. Nuvolos supports courses from small groups to thousands of students. All students receive identical, isolated environments that work through the browser without local installs.

How is the environment setup handled for students?

Instructors or IT create a master template. Nuvolos automatically provisions per-student workspaces from that template, ensuring every student works in the same environment from day one.

Which student devices are supported (BYOD)?

Any device. Compute and storage happen server-side, so even low-performance laptops work for demanding tasks.

Can students export their work after the course ends?

Yes. Students can export notebooks, code, and allowed datasets, or push work to GitHub. Retention windows can be defined at the course or institutional level.

What does “Lab-as-a-Service” mean in the context of teaching?

Nuvolos provides a fully managed digital lab that students access directly in their browser. Instead of installing software, configuring environments, or troubleshooting device issues, every student receives an identical, ready-to-use workspace with the exact tools and datasets defined by the instructor. This makes lab delivery consistent, scalable, and device-agnostic, even for very large courses.

Do you support grading?

Yes. Grading on Nuvolos enables the educator to review assignment material from the point of view of the student, so no more “on my computer it worked”. We also support automatic grading libraries for simple, large-scale assignments.

Students

How do I join a course on Nuvolos?

Course participation is by invitation only. To join, simply click Review Invitation in the email sent by your instructor. From there, you will be prompted to sign up or log in. Note: If you are affiliated with a Swiss higher education institution, it is highly recommended to sign up using the SWITCH option.

Do I need to install any software to use Nuvolos?

No. Nuvolos provides a ready-to-use, pre-configured environment that runs entirely in your web browser.

How do I start Applications like JupyterLab or RStudio in Nuvolos?

Navigate to your dashboard or course instance, open the Applications menu (the Screen icon), and click the power button next to the app you need.

How do I save my progress in Nuvolos?

Hover over the camera icon on the left sidebar and click Quick Snapshot. This instantly saves your files, tables, and application state.

Why can't I select which files to submit for an assignment?

You can't choose files manually in a Nuvolos assignment because Nuvolos submits the assignment files automatically. The submission always includes the files and folders that were defined as part of the assignment by the instructor.

A few important details:

You can't manually select different files at hand-in time.
If you worked on files outside Nuvolos, you must move your solution back into the exact same folder and use the exact same file name expected by the assignment.
If a required file is missing when you submit, the hand-in can fail.
If the assignment includes a folder, anything left inside that folder can be included in the submission, so remove unneeded files before handing in.

What happens if I miss the assignment deadline?

After the deadline passes, you can no longer hand in the assignment. Nuvolos accepts hand-ins only until the deadline. If you miss the deadline, you would need to contact your instructor to ask what they want you to do next.

Can I resubmit an assignment after I've handed it in?

Yes, you can submit multiple times for the same assignment until the deadline passes. The latest hand-in is the one your instructor will see and grade.

A few important details:

You can keep resubmitting from the same instance while hand-in is still open.
Even if you use different hand-in identifiers, only the latest submission counts.
After submitting, it is a good idea to check the hand-in area to confirm the correct file versions were included.

Why do I see "Tesla T4" or "1/6 A10" on my application, and does it cost me anything?

Tesla T4 and 1/6 A10 indicate that the application is using a GPU-enabled size. In Nuvolos, GPU sizes are shown in the application's Size field instead of the usual CU size.

Whether it costs you anything depends on the Credit/hour value shown next to the application:

If Credit/hour shows -, that application is not consuming credits.
If Credit/hour shows a number, the application will consume that many credits per hour while it is running.

A few important details:

Credit charges start when the application starts and stop when the application stops.
GPU-enabled sizes are typically credit-based sizes.
In course setups, Tesla T4 or 1/6 A10 are common smaller GPU options.

What happens to my work after the course ends?

After a course ends, your work is not deleted automatically.

If you leave the course, your course roles are removed, but your instance is not deleted.

If the course is later archived, your application and personal data are backed up to cold storage. You can still access the archived course and restore from snapshots to view or download your work later. Keep in mind that archived spaces are not meant for ongoing work: after a short grace period, restored instances are re-archived, and any new unsaved current-state changes can be deleted permanently.

Can I work on Nuvolos from my phone?

Yes, you can access Nuvolos from your phone because it runs in a web browser and does not require local installation. That said, the experience is best on a computer for heavier work such as coding, managing many files, or using complex applications. For lighter tasks like checking spaces, opening files, or basic navigation, a phone browser can work.

Research Environments & Reproducibility

How does Nuvolos ensure full reproducibility for computational research?

Nuvolos captures code, data, tools, dependencies, configuration, and results in a single versioned workspace. At any point in time, the project's state is saved as a snapshot. This feature enables reproducibility for collaborators, reviewers, and data editors long after the original analysis.

Can Nuvolos support large, complex computational and data-driven research projects (HPC-scale, multi-team)?

Yes. Nuvolos provides HPC-scale compute (hundreds of vCPU, TBs of RAM + GPUs), multi-team collaboration, complete versioning for reproducibility, real-time resource monitoring, and flexible budget management through resource pools—all self-service, without DevOps expertise.

What happens to my project if I leave my institution?

If you leave your institution, what happens next depends on the type of space.

For research spaces, they are designed for long-term persistence. By default, they remain available indefinitely unless your organization has enabled automatic resting. In that case, inactive spaces may move to resting storage and can be woken up again later.

If you want to keep important work safely, the best practice is to download your files or move them to another active space before your access changes.

Can I make my research reproducible without exporting it?

Yes. Nuvolos is designed to support reproducible research without exporting it.

You can keep your work reproducible inside Nuvolos because data, code, and software dependencies are preserved together as part of the same environment. That means past work can be recreated later without manually rebuilding the setup.

A few important points:

Reproducibility inside Nuvolos: data, code, and dependencies are versioned together as an immutable snapshot.
Shared environment: collaborators can work in the same cloud workspace and access the same setup without local reconfiguration.
Export is mainly for external handover: use export when you need to run the application outside Nuvolos or share it with people who cannot be invited into Nuvolos.

So if your goal is to make the research reproducible for yourself or collaborators within Nuvolos, you usually do not need to export it.

Are my data and code private to me, or can administrators see them?

Your data and code are not automatically private from administrators.

What administrators can see depends on the type of access and where the data is stored:

In a private space, the space is visible only to you, organization managers, and people you explicitly invite.
Organization managers can therefore see private spaces at the visibility level.
If someone has access to the same space or instance, they may also be able to see shared resources there.
In some applications, shared configuration is visible to other privileged users. For example, in CloudBeaver, connections saved in the Shared project are visible to users who have access to that application.

For sensitive credentials, use Secrets rather than storing them in code or files:

Account secrets are available only to your own applications and other users in the same organization or space cannot see them.
Secret values are encrypted at rest and cannot be viewed from the web UI.
Secrets are available only inside running applications at runtime.

What's the difference between an Instance and a Snapshot?

An instance is the live working environment where you do your work. It contains the current state of your files, tables, and applications and is the place you actively edit, run, and change things.

A snapshot is an immutable, point-in-time copy of an instance. It captures the complete state of that instance at a specific moment so you can keep it as a record, restore from it later, or share it.

Key differences:

Editable vs immutable: an instance changes as you work; a snapshot does not change after it is created.
Live vs historical: an instance is your current workspace; a snapshot is a historical record of that workspace.
Purpose: instances are for ongoing work, while snapshots are for backup, reproducibility, restore, and sharing.
Recovery: if something goes wrong in an instance, you can restore the instance from a snapshot or distribute objects from a snapshot back into an instance.

How does collaboration work across departments or external partners?

Nuvolos uses invitation-based access. Space administrators invite colleagues or external partners to specific projects. The distribution feature enables controlled sharing of code, data, and results across departments/organizations with granular access control.

What if my analysis exceeds the resources available on my Application size?

If your analysis needs more resources than the current application size provides, you have two main options:

Scale the application up to a larger size.
If your included capacity is already exhausted, continue using resources through credits.

A few important details:

You can change an application's size at any time, but the change only takes effect the next time the application starts.
If your code exceeds the available RAM, the operating system may stop the process with an out-of-memory error.
Included sizes consume your plan's CU capacity.
Credit sizes consume credits instead.
If you go beyond your CU limit, Included applications can still run, and the overage is charged automatically in credits as long as your credit balance is positive.
In your space, credit-based sizes must also be enabled before they can be used.

How do I keep my project running when I'm not actively using it?

Nuvolos automatically stops inactive applications to free up resources, so keeping a project running depends on the space type and whether the application is still considered active.

In research spaces:

an application stays active if it is either open and in focus in your browser or actively computing.
INCLUDED-size applications have a default inactivity limit of 6 hours.
CREDIT-size applications have a default inactivity limit of 1 hour.
If you are a space administrator, you can increase the inactivity limit for INCLUDED-size applications up to 24 hours from the application configuration.
This does not affect CREDIT-size applications.

If your goal is to let work continue while you are away:

Make sure the app is actually computing, not just open in the background.
Save logs or outputs explicitly, because once computation finishes and the app is no longer active, it may be auto-stopped.

How does Nuvolos assist with the availability of data and code in scientific journals?

Nuvolos lets you prepare a curated snapshot of the exact environment used to produce your published results. Reviewers and replicators receive controlled access to a fully configured workspace, reducing manual packaging and preventing missing files or broken scripts.

How long can environments be preserved?

Snapshots persist as long as your institution’s retention policies allow. Old snapshots can be moved to lower-cost storage or pruned according to configurable lifecycle rules. Complete environments can be exported to archival repositories (Zenodo, etc.) or downloaded locally for long-term preservation on user devices.

Does Nuvolos support multi-language research projects?

Yes. Python, R, MATLAB, Stata, Julia, Bash, and many domain-specific tools run inside Nuvolos. A single workspace can combine multiple languages, and their exact versions and dependencies are automatically captured.

What happens if dependencies change upstream (e.g. a pip package is removed)?

Because environments are containerized and versioned, ecah snapshot keeps working even if upstream registers change. You can update the newer packages in a new snapshot while preserving older ones for reproducibility. You can revert if updates backfire.

Can Nuvolos integrate with existing HPC clusters?

Yes. Nuvolos integrates with on-prem HPC as a complementary layer. Users work through a modern UI and can dispatch jobs to HPC using your existing schedulers.

How do you handle long running computations?

Long-running computations are allowed within the limits defined by your institution (e.g. job walltime and maintenance windows). Nuvolos will not arbitrarily stop active jobs; idle sessions are automatically shut down after a configurable timeout.

Can I run CI/CD pipelines on Nuvolos?

Yes, you can trigger and orchestrate CI/CD pipelines from Nuvolos (e.g. via git hooks, CLI tools, or API calls). We don’t currently recommend using Nuvolos itself as a general-purpose CI/CD runner; instead, we integrate with existing CI systems (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, etc.) that execute the pipelines.

Applications, Software & Tools

How can I install the Nuvolos desktop application?

If you use Google Chrome, you can install Nuvolos as a desktop app on your computer.

This can be useful if you want Nuvolos to open in its own window, or if browser extensions in Chrome are affecting the web version.

You can install it in either of these ways:

Option 1: From the address bar

Open Nuvolos in Google Chrome and log in.
Look on the right side of the address bar at the top of Chrome.
Click Install Nuvolos.
Follow the on-screen steps.

Option 2: From the Account & Settings menu

Open Nuvolos and log in.
In the top-right corner, click your profile icon.
In the Account & Settings menu, click Install desktop app.
Follow the on-screen steps.

After installation, Nuvolos will open like a desktop app in its own window.

Can I use [Software package x]?

It depends. Our applications come with the conda package manager pre-installed. You can try to install your software package via conda, see our guide for more details.

If the package cannot be installed via self-service, then please contact us at support@nuvolos.cloud. Nuvolos supports any application that can run on Linux.

Is git supported?

Yes. Git and Git LFS are available from the command line in any Nuvolos application. Each user also has their own SSH key, which can be used to authenticate with supported Git repositories.

To connect a Git repository to Nuvolos:

Copy your Nuvolos public SSH key from the Nuvolos app.
Add that public key to your Git provider account, for example GitHub, as an SSH key.
Clone the repository using the SSH URL, not the HTTPS URL. The repository URL should start with git@.

After setup, you should be able to pull and push from your Nuvolos applications without entering your password each time. You can also initialize a space directly from GitHub in the Nuvolos UI.

Is Dropbox supported?

Refer to our guide on integrating with Dropbox.

Is Moodle supported?

We don't currently offer direct integration with Moodle. However, we're open to exploring specific integration possibilities. If you have a particular request, please contact our support team. We plan to support Moodle and other learning management systems in the future.

What applications are supported by Nuvolos?

Nuvolos provides a curated selection of commonly used applications out-of-the-box, including JupyterLab, RStudio, VS Code, MATLAB, and Stata. Beyond these, Nuvolos supports any application that runs on Linux - whether it is GUI-based, a web server, or a command-line tool.

What types of applications can I run on Nuvolos?

Nuvolos facilitates any Linux-compatible application, covering a broad spectrum of tools for data science, analytics, and development. More information can be found in our Applications Guide.

Problem: A researcher needs to utilize a unique data analysis tool not typically available on standard platforms.
Solution: Nuvolos enables the deployment of any specialized Linux-compatible application, catering to specific requirements.
Result: The researcher uses preferred tools seamlessly, boosting the efficiency of their analysis process.

How does Nuvolos application containerization work?

Nuvolos leverages containerization to isolate applications and their dependencies. This approach guarantees consistent environments and prevents potential conflicts. Each application operates within its own secure container.

Problem: Data scientists often face challenges with conflicting software versions and dependencies, especially when collaborating with team members using different environments.
Our Solution: Nuvolos ensures each application is containerized with all necessary dependencies. This guarantees a consistent environment for every user, eliminating conflicts.
Result:
- Identical, conflict-free environments for all collaborators.
- Enhanced reproducibility and significantly reduced setup time.

For more information, refer to our documentation on Application Containerization and the Applications Guide.

What are the benefits of using containerized applications?

Containerization in Nuvolos offers several key benefits:

Isolation & concurrency - different configurations of the exact same application can run at the same time without interfering with each other.
Scientific reproducibility - the exact functioning of the container and its dependencies is guaranteed, making research highly reproducible.
Seamless distribution - applications, along with their full environments and dependencies, can be distributed wholesale to other instances (e.g., providing a complete working environment to all students in a course).
Easy exportation - applications can be exported as Docker images to be used outside the platform, such as on local machines or HPC clusters.
Simplified versioning - entire application environments can be easily captured and saved using Nuvolos's snapshot process.

What roles are required to run applications?

To use applications, users require roles that provide access to a space along with permissions to launch and manage applications within it. A Space Administrator configures specific roles and permissions. For a comprehensive breakdown, refer to our roles documentation.

Problem: A new student attempted to launch a JupyterLab application but lacks necessary permissions.
Solution: The Space Administrator assigns the student an "Editor" role for the course instance, enabling application access.
Result: The student can promptly launch their JupyterLab environment and start coursework without delay.

Can I add custom configurations to my applications?

Yes, Nuvolos supports custom configurations for applications, including environment variables and secrets, allowing you to optimize functionality and securely handle sensitive data. Explore our environment variables and secrets guide for more details.

Problem: A developer needs to connect their application to a private database, which requires sensitive API keys or connection strings.
Solution: The developer leverages Nuvolos's feature to add custom secrets as environment variables within their application.
Result: The application securely connects to the database without hardcoding sensitive information, aligning with security best practices.

How do users run applications on Nuvolos?

Applications are always run within a specific Nuvolos instance. They can be executed once, repeatedly, continuously, or multiple times in parallel. To run an application, a user must be assigned at least the "editor" role within that particular instance. Users can also dynamically scale the resources (CPU, RAM, GPU) allocated to the application when they run it.

How do credit-based sizes work?

Credit-based sizes are the application sizes that go beyond your plan’s included sizes. Instead of consuming only included CUs, they consume credits while the application runs.

Can I connect to running Nuvolos applications via SSH?

No. Currently we do not support this. The feature is on our roadmap.

Can I start applications automatically?

Yes.

In the education use-case, you can pre-start applications.

In the research use-case, you can use the Nuvolos CLI or public API to start applications automatically or remotely and even send commands to execute in them.

My application won't start. What do I do?

There are multiple reasons why an application wouldn't start.

Your resource pool is expired.

Make sure that your resource pool is not expired by checking the resources view.

You have run out of storage.

Make sure that the instance you are trying to run your application in is not full. If the storage is full, the application is trying to write the disk on startup, it cannot and then fails to start. You have to either delete files, reset your HOME area, or reset the application itself as a last resort.

What operating system do you support?

We support x86-64 Linux-based software. Emulation of x86-64 Windows software is possible in certain cases.

Can I use the terminal?

Almost all Nuvolos applications come with terminal (shell) support.

Can I use desktop applications?

Yes, we support desktop applications as long as they have native Linux desktop support. Applications with windows-only desktop support may work, but we cannot guarantee flawless execution.

Can users install arbitrary system packages or gain root in environments?

By default, users do not receive root access to the underlying operating system. System packages and base container images are controlled by IT or Nuvolos to maintain security and reproducibility.

Can I bring my own container images?

In many cases, yes. We can onboard institution-provided container images into the app catalog, as long as they meet security and compatibility requirements. We need to make modifications to make the images compatible with Nuvolos.

Can I connect applications on Nuvolos, such as a computation back-end and a data visualization front-end?

Yes. Nuvolos lets you create networks between Nuvolos applications, and these can cross-communicate on pre-defined network ports. You do not need to specify network policies or firewall settings, the platform provides you with safe preset options that will suit most use-cases.

Can tool versions be pinned?

Yes. Versions of libraries and tools are captured in snapshot metadata, ensuring consistent and reproducible results.

Can I add my own apps to the catalog?

Yes. Institutions can onboard their own applications into the Nuvolos catalog. In most cases this means defining a base image / environment, entry point, and resource profile. Our team can support IT or DevOps in packaging internal tools so they can be launched and managed like any other app in Nuvolos.

How are commercial software licensing managed?

IT sets licensing rules and assigns access to specific courses, research groups, or roles. Local installs are no longer needed.

What browsers or OS are supported/required/recommended?

Does Nuvolos support proprietary research applications?

Yes. Nuvolos supports Bring Your Own License (BYOL). Institutions can use and centrally manage their existing commercial software licenses directly inside the platform.

Can I use existing licensed software in Nuvolos?

Yes. MATLAB, COMSOL, Stata, Julia, ArcGIS, and many others can be hosted centrally, with institutional control over usage.

Does Nuvolos support open-source tools like Jupyter, RStudio and VS Code?

Yes. Nuvolos offers first-class support for all major open-source scientific tools.

Can toolchains be customized per course or project?

Yes. Each course or project defines its own environment template, which is cloned for users.

Can external libraries be installed?

Yes, subject to institutional policies.

How does Nuvolos manage packages?

For each computational toolkit, a package management system (or in case of complex tools, a manager for each specific language) is used. We use mostly conda for system-level dependencies and python, R’s native package manager for R/RStudio workloads, Julia’s pkg for Julia. Each application comes with a description of the package manager in use.

HPC Integration, Compute Management & Performance

What is HPC?

HPC in Nuvolos means using higher-powered application resources for heavier workloads by scaling an application beyond the sizes included in your plan. This is typically used for compute-intensive work, including larger CPU/RAM configurations and GPU-enabled machines.

Can Nuvolos Integrate with existing HPC clusters?

Yes. Nuvolos integrates with on-prem HPC as a complementary layer. Users work through a modern UI and can dispatch jobs to HPC using your existing schedulers.

Does Nuvolos replace HPC?

No. Nuvolos modernizes how users interact with HPC and adds reproducibility, versioning, collaboration, and teaching workflows on top.

How are HPC jobs submitted?

Jobs are submitted from Nuvolos to your schedulers, while artifacts and results stay captured inside the user’s workspace.

How does Nuvolos simplify HPC onboarding?

Users avoid VPNs, SSH, and complex local installs. They access compute entirely through their browser.

How does Nuvolos compare with traditional local + HPC + Git workflows?

Traditional workflows require manual installs, environment setup, syncing via a Git repository, managing file servers, and connecting to HPC via the CLI. Nuvolos consolidates all of compute, storage, versioning, collaboration, and environment management into a single browser-based workspace. HPC and Git repositories are integrated and managed through a single interface.

Can researchers choose between cloud and on prem compute?

Yes. Institutions can expose multiple resource pools, cloud instances, on-prem clusters, GPUs and users select them per project or per task.

How are resource pools and quotas managed?

Admins define pools, attach quotas, and assign them to spaces or departments. This gives full control over usage, costs, and prioritization.

Limits on compute, storage, environment size?

Nuvolos uses institution-defined resource pools and quotas. Typical configurations cover anything from small teaching workloads to very large HPC-style jobs. We don’t impose a hard global limit, but each institution defines per-user, per-project, or per-department quotas. Higher limits (e.g. very large RAM/CPU/GPU nodes or PB-scale storage) can be configured on request.

How long does it take to get resources?

For regular workloads, the waiting time is 1-3 minutes. For scaled workloads, such as GPUs, the waiting time is 5-15 minutes. You can schedule workloads to start by a given time to reduce this waiting time.

Can Nuvolos centralize apps like Jupyter, RStudio, MATLAB and COMSOL?

Yes. All computational tools live in a unified application catalog, ensuring consistent versions for all users.

How do you handle long-running computations?

Can I change the size of my application while it is running?

You can change the size of the application any time, however the effect of the change only takes place upon application start. You can't modify a running workload on the fly.

How are applications run in parallel?

Run applications concurrently on Nuvolos by launching multiple instances. Our infrastructure supports scalable and parallel workload execution. For more details, refer to our applications documentation and the Applications Guide.

Problem: A researcher faces a challenge with their computationally intensive simulation, which requires running multiple iterations with various parameters to achieve optimal results. Completing them sequentially is too time-consuming.
Solution: To tackle this, the researcher runs multiple simulation instances in parallel using Nuvolos.
Result: The simulations finish much faster, enabling the researcher to explore a broader range of parameters and accelerate their discoveries.

My GPU application takes time to start - why?

It is normal that CREDIT based dedicated workloads take longer to start - this is due to the fact that resources first need to be checked out for you from the cloud and only then the regular setup process can start. This can take up to 5 to 15 minutes.

In course settings, we suggest scheduling these workloads for startup.

My GPU workload was computing but it got stopped - why?

If your application was not using at least a half of a vCPU during calculation, the automatic stopper will stop the workload. Please post a support request via Intercom and we can help you increase automatic stopper sensitivity.

Do you have logs I can use to debug my app?

Yes, you can review each session and see the logs to debug apps.

Digital Sovereignty, Data Governance & Security

How does Nuvolos support data sovereignty for European institutions?

Institutions choose where data is stored and processed, including EU-specific or country-specific regions or institution-controlled cloud tenancies.

Where is data stored and processed?

In regions selected by the institution during deployment, aligned with compliance and data-residency policies.

Can institutions choose sovereign cloud zones?

Yes. Institution-controlled or region-specific cloud zones are fully supported.

Does Nuvolos support institution identity management (SSO)?

Yes. Nuvolos integrates with SAML, OpenID Connect, and other IAM systems.

Can sensitive or regulated datasets be hosted?

Yes, under appropriate institutional controls. Nuvolos provides granular permissions, encryption, and audit logs to support compliance.

Does Nuvolos support regulated research domains (health, pharma, finance)?

Nuvolos can be configured to align with the technical requirements of many regulated domains when combined with appropriate institutional processes. Encryption, access control, logging and deployment options provide a strong foundation for handling sensitive data under domain-specific rules.

Does Nuvolos integrate with external storage options?

Yes. We support a large variety of external storage options including AWS S3, Azure Files, Azure Blobs, Sharepoint, Dropbox, etc.

Can I attach to external data warehouses or connect to database servers?

Yes. From Nuvolos environments you can connect to external databases and data warehouses (e.g. PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake, BigQuery), as well as object and file storage (S3, Azure Blob, etc.), subject to your institution’s network and security policies.

Are audit data logs available?

Yes. Administrators can review user access, workspace activity, and sharing events.

Is data encrypted?

Yes, encrypted both at rest and in transit.

Does Nuvolos support sovereign AI/ML compute?

Yes. AI and ML workloads can run entirely in institution-chosen regions or infrastructures without sending data to unmanaged services.

How do you store snapshots? Do I get double charged?

We store snapshots on a “diff” basis. We will not charge you for each snapshot, only the total amount of unique, retained data.

What is the maximum dataset size?

Practically, we support multi-TB and, in some setups, PB-scale datasets. Exact limits depend on storage backend and functionality. We work with you to size storage tiers (high-performance, large-file, archival) appropriately for your workloads.

What is the difference between files and tables on Nuvolos? When should I use which?

We offer three basic types of storage, the high-performance file system, table storage and large file storage. The high-performance file system is best suited for I/O intensive tasks, frequently changing small files, such as source code or model outputs. Table storage is best suited for large volumes of structured data. The large file storage is ideal for large volumes of unstructured (file-based) data.

What is the difference between Nuvolos file system storage and Large File Storage?

Nuvolos file system storage is the standard persistent storage built into applications. It backs the Workspace, Personal, and Application areas, and supports core Nuvolos features such as snapshots. It is best suited for roughly 1 GB to 100 GB of data.

Large File Storage is a separate persistent storage option designed for very large datasets, especially above 100 GB.

What security model does Nuvolos use?

A multi-layered model combining infrastructure security, isolated execution environments, strong authentication, granular authorization, and audit logging.

How is workspace isolation enforced?

Each workspace runs in a securely isolated context with strictly controlled access to data and compute.

Are user sessions sandboxed?

User sessions execute within isolated environments with controlled access to data and resources. This sandboxing limits the blast radius of misconfigurations or malicious code and supports safe experimentation.

How does identity and access management work?

Nuvolos integrates with institutional IAM systems and uses roles and permissions internally.

Does Nuvolos support FAIR principles?

Nuvolos supports FAIR practice by making data and environments structured, accessible (with permissions), interoperable through captured toolchains, and reusable via fully reproducible snapshots.

Administration & Space Management

How do I find my role level in an organisation?

Go on the navigation bar on the top, and the first level is the organisation dropdown, where you can see all organisations available to you. Click the dropdown and each organisation shows your current role.

How do I find my role level in a space?

Go on the navigation bar on the top, and the second level is the space dropdown, where you can see all spaces available to you in the selected organisation. Click the dropdown and each space shows your current role.

How do I find my role level in an instance?

Go on the navigation bar on the top, and the third level is the instance dropdown, where you can see all instances available to you in the selected organisation and space. Click the dropdown and each instance shows your current role.

I can't create a new space, research project or course. Why?

You need to be at least an organisation faculty or organisation manager to create a space on Nuvolos in an organisation.

I am a space administrator, why can't I create new spaces, research projects or courses on Nuvolos. Why?

Space roles and organisation roles are separate and independent from each other. You need to be at least an organisation faculty or organisation manager to create a space on Nuvolos in an organisation.

I used to be able to create new spaces, research projects or courses on Nuvolos, but not any more. Why?

There are two options: either an organisation faculty or organisation manager role was revoked from you, or you since have become member of multiple organisations. Make sure you select the correct context - it might be that you are active now in an organisation where you don't have sufficient role, but in another organisation you still have.

I want to be able to create projects in an organisation, but I can't. What should I do?

You need to be at least an organisation faculty or organisation manager to create a space on Nuvolos in an organisation. Only organisation managers can grant this role. In order to contact them, go on the dashboard screen, and click on the cogwheel icon on the top right corner of the dashboard itself. The cogwheel lists all organisation managers.

How do I increase the storage quota for an Instance in my Space?

The quota editor is available in Manage space → Course/Project Configuration → Quotas and usage, where each instance section has an Edit button for Instance, Workspace, Personal, and Application quotas.

How do I find which users or Applications are using the most storage in a Space?

To find what is using the most storage in a Space, use the Resources dashboard and drill down to the Space level.

For applications, open Plan utilization and review Storage utilization. The donut chart breaks storage down by sub-level, and at the Space level those sub-levels are instances. This is the closest view for identifying which application environments in that space are using the most filesystem storage.

For users, open Credit utilization and drill down to the Space level. That view groups usage by users at the space level, but it shows credit usage, not filesystem storage. The monitoring dashboard does not provide a filesystem-by-user breakdown for a space.

What is a resting Space, and how do I tell if my Space is resting?

A resting Space is a space whose data has been moved from the live Nuvolos filesystem to a lower-cost storage class to reduce storage costs during inactivity.

To tell whether your space is resting:

Resting spaces are shown with greyed-out text
They are hidden by default in the space selector
Open the space dropdown in the breadcrumbs and enable the Resting toggle to show them

Where do I find the resource monitoring dashboard?

Open the account menu in the top-right corner by clicking the account_circle icon. Select Resources from the menu to open the resource monitoring dashboard.

Billing, Credits & Costs

What does a Nuvolos subscription include?

A Nuvolos subscription is custom-tailored to your organization’s use case and is typically based on a yearly contract. It includes three core parts:

Access — a defined number of seats for users
Compute allocation — annual included compute capacity measured in CUs
Storage allocation — included high-performance storage capacity

What can I use Credits for?

Credits are used for on-demand resources on top of your Nuvolos subscription. You can use them for:

Credit-based application sizes for extra compute power
GPU-enabled machines such as course or project GPU workflows
Dedicated resource pools for heavier workloads
Additional storage services, including special storage types and large-scale storage needs
Other Azure-backed resources available through Nuvolos
Professional services when arranged

What is a resource pool, and why do I need one?

A resource pool is the budget and cost-tracking container for resource usage in Nuvolos. It acts like a cost center: resources such as compute, storage, and certain additional services are mapped to a pool, and their usage is charged against that pool’s balance or limits.

How do I find out which resource pool my Space is mapped to?

To see which resource pool a Space is mapped to, open that Space’s Project Configuration and check the Resource mapping section. There you can see the Resource pool assigned for Credit-based services and Plan-based services.

Can Credits be transferred between resource pools?

Yes, Credits can be transferred between resource pools.

Self-service transfers are available between pools where you are a resource pool manager in both. To do that, open Resources, go to the monitoring dashboard, and use Transfer credits from the Current balance tile.

Why does my Credit balance drop while the Application is just sitting idle?

Your Credit balance can still drop when an application looks idle because credits are charged while a CREDIT-size application is running, not only while you are actively interacting with it.

How does Nuvolos help manage compute costs?

Through resource pools, quotas, usage monitoring, and idle environment management, preventing runaway compute spending.

What happens when I exceed my NCU or storage limit?

If you exceed your NCU limit, Included size applications can still start and continue running as long as your resource pool has a positive credit balance. Once your NCU capacity is exhausted, the overage is charged automatically in credits at the current NCU overage rate.

If you exceed your storage limit, daily credit deductions begin automatically for the amount above your file system limit. Storage usage is checked daily across the resource pool, and overage is billed per day.

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