Overview

UWF provides virtual software access to online students 24/7. The most up-to-date versions of ArcGIS Pro, and ERDAS Imagine are the primary GIS related software utilized to complete course assignments.

GIS Virtual Apps & Desktops hosted within ArgoApps are virtual desktops and applications that run on UWF's servers so students do not need to download or install anything on their personal computer to access. While students do not need to install the Citrix Workspace App, it is the recommended method to access GIS virtual apps & desktops. Select students can access a virtual desktop 'GIS Online' as well as 'app-only' versions of GIS software (within the apps column in ArgoApps).

Roaming profiles are used to provide a seamless experience regardless of which GIS server is used. Additionally, all users of the virtual desktops for GIS are assigned a "Student Folder" where they can save large data files (typical of GIS) mounted as S:\ Other network drives include:

Network Drives
H:\\argofiler\students\Home\<username>
Student's personal network storage (10Gb limit shared for GIS Online students)
R:\\argo\its\gisonline\Repository
Read-only access to class data and samples
S:\\argo\its\gisonline\StudentFiles\<username>
GIS online specific personal storage, Instructors have access to assist students with assignments.
G:Google Drive allows you to easily access files stored in your Google drive from campus computer labs and ArgoApps. See Installing Google Drive for Desktop on personal devices for more information.


Methods of Access

1. ArgoApps Lite

ArgoApps Lite is a browser based solution and the easiest way to access GIS virtual apps & desktops as it requires no software to be installed on your computer. Non-GIS students, instructors, or staff who have been given access to GIS apps will be able to see and use all drives mentioned in the video except for the R drive. Instead, use the Google drive or H: drive.  The process for working with files in the software will be the same. 

This video will cover how to access ArgoApps Lite via the web browser based client).


2. ArgoApps (w/Citrix Workspace App)

This video will cover how to access ArgoApps via the Citrix Workspace App. This method of accessing ArgoApps is the preferred method - it gives you access to all the drives you could possibly need: your local drives, the H, R, and S drives, and your Google drive. Non-GIS students, instructors, or staff who have been given access to GIS apps will be able to see and use all drives mentioned in the video except for the R and S drives. Instead, use your Google drive or H drive.  The process for working with files in the software will be the same. 


Managing Files


This videos will cover how to move data from the R:\ drive (where your instructor places tutorial data) to the S:\ drive (your Student Drive), including unzipping compressed files using the GIS Files application.



This video will cover how initialize the access to the Google Drive from within the GIS Online Desktop using Citrix Workspace.


This video will cover ways of accessing and relocating data within the GIS Online Desktop using Citrix Workspace.

Migrating data from the Student Drive (S:) to the Google Drive, H: drive, or your local drives is important because all data within the S: drive is purged at the end of each semester. If you want to hold onto any of your work, you will need to migrate it to another drive.

FAQs

Citrix Receiver was renamed to Citrix Workspace App and is an application users can install to access the GIS virtual apps & desktops more easily. For more information on installing it, please see ArgoApps Help: Citrix Workspace App.

GIS Virtual Apps and Desktops are Mac OS and Windows-friendly and work with any operating system.

To make the most of the flexibility that online education offers you need a fast internet connection, at home if at all possible. We recommend 10 -15 Mbps download speeds for a good end-user experience. High-speed Internet or Broadband (defined by the FCC as 25 Mbps) would be optimal. Are you curious if your internet connection can handle the job? Check out this speed test to learn more.

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