---
title: "Create a notebook lab"
slug: "notebooks-create-a-lab"
source: "https://app.cloudpe.com/help/notebooks-create-a-lab"
updated: "2026-11-01T09:37:08.210Z"
---

# Create a notebook lab

## Overview

A classroom lab is a dedicated JupyterHub for your organisation: one web address, one roster, one seat limit, and one compute plan for every student notebook server. Organisation owners and members with `notebooks:manage` can create labs from the dashboard when Notebooks is enabled for the organisation in that region.

After you create a lab, CloudPe provisions Kubernetes resources, creates a monthly seat subscription, and exposes an **Open Hub** link when status becomes active.

## Before you start

- You need `notebooks:manage` in the organisation (owners have this automatically).
- The organisation must be on a tier that entitles Notebooks in the region you pick, with enough wallet balance or credit for a new billable lab.
- Only regions where CloudPe has enabled Notebooks appear in the **Region** list. If your region is missing, Notebooks is not available there yet.
- Pick a **Project** in that region; the lab is tied to it for tenancy and billing.

## Steps

### Create the lab

1. In the sidebar, open **Notebooks**.
2. Select **Create lab**.
3. In **Create notebook lab**, fill in the fields:
   - **Name** — display name for the lab (for example the course title).
   - **Slug** — short lowercase identifier you choose. It becomes part of the lab web address. Use letters, numbers and hyphens only.
   - **Plan** — one of `nb-cpu-s`, `nb-cpu-m`, or `nb-cpu-l`:
     - `nb-cpu-s` — CPU Small (1 vCPU / 2 GiB)
     - `nb-cpu-m` — CPU Medium (2 vCPU / 4 GiB)
     - `nb-cpu-l` — CPU Large (4 vCPU / 8 GiB)
   - **Seats** — maximum roster size (faculty and students combined). You cannot import more people than this count.
   - **Region** — an enabled CloudPe region (for example IN-WEST3).
   - **Project** — the project in that region that owns the lab.
4. Select **Create**.

CloudPe creates the lab with the curated `jupyter-scipy` single-user image (SciPy stack). The platform also offers `jupyter-pytorch-cpu` (PyTorch on CPU) for labs; contact support if you need a different image on a new lab.

### Lab web address

The hub hostname is `<slug>.<notebooks-domain>`, where `<notebooks-domain>` comes from the region (for IN-WEST3, `notebooks.in-west3.cloudpe.dev`). Example: slug `cs101` gives `cs101.notebooks.in-west3.cloudpe.dev`. CloudPe serves it over HTTPS.

The lab detail page and the labs list show **Open Hub** when the lab is active.

### After creation

1. The lab status starts as provisioning. Refresh the page or wait; status updates automatically.
2. When status is active, **Open Hub** opens the JupyterHub sign-in page.
3. Import your roster — see [Manage a lab roster](/help/notebooks-manage-roster).
4. Review [Notebook labs billing](/help/notebooks-billing) for seat subscription charges.

## Troubleshooting

- `region not enabled` — Notebooks is not turned on for that region, or your organisation is not entitled there. Pick another region or contact support.
- `slug already in use` — Another lab already uses that slug in the platform. Choose a different slug.
- Lab stays in provisioning or moves to failed — note the lab name and contact support with the organisation and region.

- [Notebook labs overview](/help/notebook-labs)
- [Manage a lab roster](/help/notebooks-manage-roster)
- [Notebook labs billing](/help/notebooks-billing)
- [Notebook labs troubleshooting](/help/notebooks-troubleshooting)