Patent ID: 7693732

Claim:
A computer implemented process managed by a lab reservation system, the lab including a plurality of machines, comprising: receiving a request from a user for at least one of the plurality of machines, said request indicating a selected one out of a plurality of different target operating environments stored in a common computing system, and said selected operating environment installable on at least one of the plurality of machines; storing in a database a plurality of records, wherein, for each machine of said plurality of machines, the database stores information relating to a hardware configuration and status of the machine; in response to the request: querying the database to identify a ready machine of said plurality of machines having hardware components in accordance with the selected target operating environment; updating, in the database, the status for the ready machine in the database to indicate that said ready machine is in use; configuring the ready machine to match the request by installing the selected target operating environment on the ready machine; and allocating the configured ready machine to the user.