General Questions
What is CloudShare?
What is the difference between CloudShare Pro and CloudShare Enterprise?
What is CloudShare FastUpload?
How is CloudShare priced?
What are the system requirements to use CloudShare?
How can I pre-check to see if my browser can log in to the remote machines?
What are my technical support options?
How do I get a demo or try the product?
How do I contact Sales?
CloudShare Environments
What is a CloudShare environment?
What is an environment author?
How do I create an environment?
Why are my ‘View Machine’ buttons are greyed out / inactive?
How long does an environment last?
How do I install my own software in these machines?
How do I add/remove machines?
What does the status column mean?
How many snapshots can I create?
What should I do after taking a snapshot?
How do I restore the environment state to a saved snapshot?
Can I add more machines at a later stage?
Can I change the description at a later stage?
Sharing Environments
How do I share my environment with my peers?
What snapshot of the environment is shared?
How many invitations can I send?
How do I get more invitations?
How can I remove the names of people I’ve invited from the Sharing and Visitors screen?
Can invited guests make changes to a shared environment?
Can I grant others edit capability for my own environment?
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What is CloudShare?
CloudShare is a hosted system (a “SaaS” product like Salesforce.com) that enables users to create, on-demand, persistent online “mini data centers” for others’ use.
In the CloudShare Enterprise product, each such cloud-based mini-data center environment contains marketing materials, video, a clickable system layout, and a dedicated multi-machine system running a full client product implementation. Meanwhile, a Salesforce.com-like dashboard enables SEs and managers to track individual customer usage, SE and partner performance, and progress. In the CloudShare Pro product, each mini-data center environment is radically simplified, containing up to six machines, and the “share” and “track” aspects are elemental.
What is the difference between CloudShare Pro and CloudShare Enterprise?
Please see http://cloudshare.com/upgrade for a detailed comparison of the features in CloudShare Pro and CloudShare Enterprise.
What is CloudShare FastUpload?
This patent-pending capability allows you to import a VMware virtual machine running in your local environment to your CloudShare environment, thus allowing you to work offline of CloudShare as necessary.
We do this by asking you to use a "template" virtual machine, and then we upload only the changes you make to that machine.
Because we're only uploading the changes you've made to your "local" virtual machine, importing should usually be significantly faster than uploading the full virtual machine to any cloud provider - usually minutes, instead of hours to days if uploading (or worse, physically shipping media containing) a full virtual machine..
How is CloudShare priced?
The CloudShare Enterprise SaaS product is priced on a per seat basis, with cost varying based on which feature sets are invoked. The CloudShare Pro product is in Beta, and is not yet priced for GA. The product is free while in Beta, although we ask that you click a 'renew' button every 15 days so we know you're still interested -- hence the product has a timer in the corner that says "15 day free trial". No worries, you'll be prompted to reset that timer with no changes to your environment while in Beta.
What are the system requirements to use CloudShare?
CloudShare does not require software downloads or installation – the platform is accessible from any web browser (FireFox 3.x or later, Internet Explorer 7.x or later, or Chrome 4.x or later).
Please note that for remote viewing, an RDP plugin to the browser must be enabled - if you do not have one, it will be automatically offered to your browser when you attempt to log in, and if approved will be installed in seconds.
For FastUpload functionality, you must use VMware Workstation 7.x or higher.
How can I pre-check to see if my browser can log in to the remote machines?
Simply click on the connectivity check page, here.
What are my technical support options?
CloudShare Enterprise offers email and live telephone 24x7x365 support.
CloudShare Pro support is primarily through the web-based support forum, though limited email and phone options exist.
How do I get a demo or try the product?
To sign up for CloudShare Pro, please visit http://www.CloudShare.com/Pro -- there are no demos, as the product is fully functional and free for the first 30 days.
Alternatively, if you’d like to do a brief hands-on walkthrough of CloudShare Enterprise, please visit http://www.CloudShare.com/try to take the Enterprise product for a limited test drive – or contact sales for a guided tour and demo.
How do I contact Sales?
To speak with one of our sales representatives about how CloudShare Enterprise can meet your needs, please contact us directly at:
Phone: (US) 888-609-4440 x100 (simply key in the extension number when the greeting starts)
Email: sales@cloudshare.com
What is a CloudShare environment?
An environment is a set of machines, residing in the CloudShare cloud. You can use an environment to easily demonstrate a full IT system, complete with whatever software you choose. The IT system can then be shared among your peers to demonstrate a new software product, to effectively show an interesting configuration or for any other purpose.
What is an environment author?
An author is a special type of user who is able to create his own CloudShare environment and share it with peers. To become an author, click the upgrade button on the top right. Act now! Upgrading to author is free for the next three months.
How do I create an environment?
To create an environment, head over to the author homepage tab, and click "create environment". Note, in the beta (free) period, you can author only one environment at a time.
Why are my ‘View Machine’ buttons greyed out/inactive?
You are unable to view the machines while taking a snapshot. Also, when you log in to CloudShare after a period of inactivity, the machines may need a minute to “resume” from a dormant state. Check the “status” label under each machine’s name; if it says “preparing” or anything but “running”, it is likely your View buttons will be inactive.
How long does an environment last?
An environment's duration depends on the user's status. Author environments last for as long as your are a CloudShare Pro author. An environment you are invited to and guest environments last three hours. An environment is suspended once you log off from the service and resumed immediately when you return.
Please note that while in Beta, we ask that you click a 'renew' button every 15 days so we know you're still interested -- hence the product has a timer in the corner that says "15 day free trial". No worries, you'll be prompted to reset that timer with no changes to your environment while in Beta, so you should have significantly longer than 15 days.
How do I install my own software in these machines?
To install software, first access the machine you wish to install the software on by clicking "view machine".
Once in front of the machine desktop, you have two options:
Option #1: from this machine, you have full internet access. Use FTP, Telnet, webmail, or browse to your favorite site.
Option #2: if you click to re-enable File Sharing (above, disabled), then click on My Computer on the desktop you see, you’ll see your local hard drives and can copy via drag & drop to the desktop you see. Be warned, this approach requires a reasonably high-speed connection or small files... don’t try uploading hundreds of MB on your home dial-up or 128kbps DSL line.
How do I add/remove machines?
To add or remove machines to an environment, you need to be that environment's owner. By taking ownership, you will create a copy of this environment. and become the author for this copy. This copy can then be shared with others.
What does the status column mean?
The invitation status goes through the following stages:
Pending: The invitation email has been sent, but your peer has not yet performed any action in the system. You may want to contact him and verify that the email was received.
Accepted: Your peer accepted the invitation, but has not accessed the environment.
In use: your peer has accessed the environment. Now would be a good time to contact them and ask their opinion.
How many snapshots can I create?
In CloudShare Pro, you can take one snapshot at a time. Each subsequent snapshot will overwrite the previously saved one.
What should I do after taking the snapshot?
After the snapshot is completed you will be able to share the environment with peers. To share, simply fill the quick share form in the environment view, or click the share button on the specific environment in your home page.
How do I restore the environment state to a saved snapshot?
With CloudShare Pro, you can save a snapshot of the environment which includes the machines RAM and disk states, even including the state of the applications running in the machines. To revert to a to a previously saved snapshot, click revert in the action buttons on the right.
Can I add more machines at a later stage?
After setting up your initial environment, you can always go back and edit it, adding or removing machines. At this stage of the CloudShare beta, you are limited to six machines per environment, and you can author one environment at a time.
Can I change the description at a later stage?
After setting up your initial environment, you can always go back and edit descriptions and names, or add/remove machines. All of this functionality will be available from the completed environment view.
How do I share my environment with my peers?
CloudShare is all about sharing with peers! To share your environment, go to the environment page, take a snapshot in the state you feel your peers will find useful, than fill the "quick share" form in the environment page to invite a peer.
What snapshot of the environment is shared?
You always share the latest snapshot taken of the environment. When a peer clicks on the invitation link sent, a copy of the latest snapshot will be generated.
How many invitations can I send?
A CloudShare Pro author can send out ten invitations each month.
How do I get more invitations?
A CloudShare Pro author can send out ten invitations each month. You will automatically get more invitation credits at the beginning of the next month – or, you can upgrade to CloudShare Enterprise.
How can I remove the names of people I’ve invited from the Sharing and Visitors screen?
You can remove invites before they’re accepted. The invitations will automatically be moved to the ‘expired invitations’ screen if they expire without being accepted. You can upgrade to CloudShare Enterprise for additional control over invitations; in CloudShare Pro, accepted invitations remain on the Sharing and Visitors screen.
Can invited guests make changes to a shared environment?
Invited guests receive an email with a link pointing to a copy of the environment. The copy is generated in seconds the moment the guest clicks the link. The copy is always created from the latest snapshot, and is private. Guests can change the copy to their liking without affecting your original.
Can I grant others editing capability for my own environment?
Your peers will be able to run and modify the environment copies you share with them, but to centrally manage the configuration and environment lifecycle, reporting and many other advanced features,
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