Located in the Hands-on playground, cloud sandboxes allow you to explore real cloud environments. Whether you’re following along with a course or experimenting on your own, cloud sandboxes are a convenient way to get in some hands-on practice in AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
Note: This feature is available for learners with a Skills Everything plan license, ACG Business plan license, or ACG Personal Plus subscription. This excludes free trials.
In this article
Accessing cloud sandboxes
- From your learner home page (opens in new tab), click Hands-on Playground in the Hands-on Learning widget.
- Click Start Sandbox for your preferred sandbox—AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud—to open the sandbox details page.
- From your dashboard (opens in new tab), click Playground in the navigation menu.
- Click Start Sandbox for your preferred sandbox—AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud—to open the sandbox details page.
Signing in to your sandbox
The sandbox details page provides the credentials you’ll use to sign in to the cloud console.
Important: If your organization has Isolation mode enabled, start a secure Isolation mode session before opening your sandbox. See Isolation mode for labs and sandboxes to learn how.
To open your sandbox and sign in:
- Right-click Open Sandbox and choose Open link in Incognito Window or your browser's equivalent private mode to open the cloud console.
Tip: Using a private browser mode prevents any cookies or browser extensions from interfering with your cloud sandbox. Consult our recommended browsers article for best results.
- Return to the sandbox details page and copy the username provided.
- Go back to your private browser window and paste the username on the cloud console sign-in page.
- Copy and paste the password in the same manner, then sign in.
Now that you’ve successfully signed in to the cloud platform and accessed your cloud sandbox you can start practicing the skills you're learning.
Common questions
How long will my cloud sandbox be active?
A cloud sandbox is automatically shut down and its data deleted after four hours. However, if you’re part of an ACG or Skills team plan, you’ll be notified an hour before your sandbox expires and given an option to extend your sandbox an additional four hours.
Can I have more than one cloud sandbox running at a time?
Only one sandbox in the Hands-on playground can be active at a time. Click Delete Sandbox to stop a sandbox before you start another one.
Are there limits to what I can do in a cloud sandbox?
While we strive to offer you the most realistic and comprehensive training opportunity possible, there are limits to what services and actions we can allow in cloud sandboxes. For guidance on available services and acceptable use, see our individual articles on the AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud sandboxes.