How it works
From lesson plan to hands-on classroom lab.
You teach IT and cybersecurity concepts; students apply them in their own lab environments. Choose an existing exercise from the module library, preview it, release it to your class, and review automatically graded results against the module’s rubric. Authoring and contributing modules are optional.
From the module library to your classroom.
- Discover and preview. Find modules by topic and difficulty, then try a private preview to check the fit for your lesson.
- Make it available. A module needs a stable build in your deployment zone before students can use it. Shared definitions can be rebuilt in your zone.
- Release and assess. Assign the module to a classroom. Students work in their own copies, and configured grading rubrics feed results into the gradebook.
- Optionally create and contribute. Author a module with its lab recipe, instructions, and grading rubric. Publish modules you own or share them with organizations that accept shares.
Real machines for practical lessons.
Students practice on real operating systems: configure services, troubleshoot networks, and complete the tasks your lesson calls for, not a scripted imitation.
Saved build instructions produce the environment behind each module. You can teach from an existing module without writing those instructions. Release a tested build, let students practice, and use configured rubrics to assess their practical work.
Our Backing technologies
System Architecture
Rudder Virt + Aileron
The platform has two primary layers: Rudder Virt, the app users interact with, and Aileron, the open-source runtime where workloads are executed and evaluated.
Rudder Virt
This is the control plane for users and instructors: create modules, assign work, monitor results, and manage environments through a clean browser interface.
Aileron
This is the execution layer where virtual machines run, grading is performed, and module logic is enforced using open-source infrastructure components.
Aileron deep dive
Inside the runtime platform.
Aileron combines multiple open-source building blocks that work together to run, evaluate, and isolate module environments.
Operating system
A hardened base image and runtime environment that standardizes execution and keeps module behavior predictable.
Hypervisor
Open-source virtualization that provisions and runs virtual machines for each module namespace with strong isolation.
Grader
The grader runs commands inside student VMs and scores their output against module-defined rubrics. It uses the serial console rather than guest networking, with a working guest-grader setup required.
Open-source ecosystem
Aileron is open-source. Built from open-source components and developed in the open. Browse the code, file issues, and contribute on GitHub.
View Aileron on GitHub