This tour follows a lab from its first devices to routing, troubleshooting, saved versions, and server design.

Create a blank lab and give it a name that makes its purpose easy to recognize.

Open Add device, choose a router, and select a Cisco model from the catalogue.

Repeat the same workflow with a Juniper router to build a lab with different vendors.

Add a Linux server to this lab as well; we will use it for the Server Builder example later.

Open the device terminal to inspect its software version.

For the Assistant example, start a separate blank lab so the requested four-router topology is easy to follow.

Ask the Assistant to build four Cisco routers, connect them in a line, and configure OSPF with reachable loopback addresses.

The Assistant adds and configures the devices through nuLAB, and you can follow its progress here.

Check the completed topology before moving on: four routers, three links, and the intended interface addresses.

In the terminal, inspect the OSPF neighbors and routes to confirm that the routers have formed their adjacencies.

Ping the far router to verify end-to-end connectivity rather than relying only on the topology drawing.

Configs brings the device configurations into one view, with separate running and saved startup configurations.

Search the configurations to find the routing settings you want to inspect.

Events provides a timeline of changes in the lab, with filters to help you focus on the relevant devices and activity.

To inspect traffic, open Captures and create a named capture on the cable you want to observe.

Check the capture point and buffer options, then start the capture before generating traffic.

Return to the router terminal and send a ping across the lab while the capture is running.

Stop the capture, filter for ICMP, and select a packet to inspect its details and bytes.

These frames come from the simulated lab traffic, and you can export the capture for later analysis.

Info organizes the current device state, including interfaces, routes, and routing protocol information.

Expand the relevant device and use the search and state filters to narrow the information on screen.

Insights can generate a structured explanation of this lab, helping you review its topology, reachability, and findings.

Read the explanation alongside the actual configurations and packet results, and verify any suggested changes before applying them.

Save the working lab as a named version so you have a clear point to return to later.

The version history keeps saved points together and provides controls for reviewing and restoring them.

Collaboration brings together access to clone the lab and the review of proposed changes from collaborators.

Choose access deliberately, and review a collaborator’s proposed changes before merging them into your lab.

Return to the manual-build lab for the Server Builder example, keeping the four-router OSPF lab separate.

Server Builder is an Enterprise feature for composing a Linux server design from reusable components.

Create a design, add a supported component, and review its settings in the editor.

Save the design, then review the available Linux targets before applying it to a server.

You have now seen the main lab workflow, from manual and assisted creation to verification, troubleshooting, collaboration, and server design.