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Workspace Management

QDE workspaces provide dedicated cloud-based quantum development environments with configurable resources. Understanding workspace management enables efficient resource utilization and optimal development workflows.

Workspace Lifecycle

QDE workspaces transition through different operational states during their lifecycle.

Starting indicates initial launch in progress, typically requiring 2-3 minutes for full activation. During startup, the workspace provisions computing resources and initializes the development environment.

Running workspaces are fully operational and accessible through all development interfaces. CPU, memory, and storage resources are actively allocated and available for your development work.

Sleeping workspaces enter an inactive state to conserve computational resources while preserving all data and configuration. Sleep mode maintains your files, installed packages, and workspace state without consuming active computing resources.

Stopping represents the transition phase into sleep mode. This process typically completes within 1-2 minutes.

Waking workspaces are reactivating from sleep state, restoring full functionality. Wake operations require 2-3 minutes to fully restore computational resources and development interface access.

Resource Allocation

Each QDE workspace provides dedicated computing resources optimized for quantum algorithm development.

Computing Resources

Each QDE workspace provides dedicated resources:

  • CPU: Up to 8 cores suitable for quantum simulation and algorithm development
  • Memory: Up to 20GB RAM enabling quantum simulations up to 30 qubits (28-29 qubits recommended for stable operation)
  • Storage: 10GB persistent storage in your home directory for project files, packages, and configurations
  • Hosting: AWS infrastructure (Oregon, US region only)
  • Network: High-speed internet connectivity for package installation, Git operations, and collaboration workflows

Resource Monitoring

Monitor resource usage through the development interfaces or system tools:

# Check memory usage
free -h

# Monitor disk space
df -h

# View CPU usage
htop

VS Code Web displays resource information in the bottom status bar when connected remotely to your workspace.

Workspace Updates

Automatic Updates: When new software becomes available, your workspace panel displays an update notification.

Update Content: Updates typically include:

  • Latest PsiQDK library versions with new features and bug fixes
  • Security patches and system updates for Ubuntu base system
  • New development tools and VS Code extensions
  • Performance improvements and optimizations

Applying Updates:

  1. Save and commit all your work to Git repositories
  2. Click the update notification on your workspace panel
  3. Confirm the update (workspace will restart)
  4. Wait 3-5 minutes for update completion
  5. Verify your development environment after update

Update Timing: Apply updates during natural break points in your work, as they require workspace restart.

Data Persistence and Protection

Important: Git is Your Source of Truth

QDE storage should NOT be relied upon for long-term data protection. The only recommended data protection strategy is synchronizing your work with Git repositories regularly, where all Construct project files are stored. Project repositories are backed up and maintained with version tracking - QDE workspace storage is not.

Understanding Data Storage

Workspace Storage: QDE provides 10 GB of persistent storage for your workspace files, meant for short term use. Use it for active development only.

Git Repositories: Your Construct project repositories are the permanent, backed-up storage for your work. These are maintained and protected by the platform.

Essential Backup Practice

Sync to Git Regularly: Commit and push your work frequently to ensure it's safely stored using with the VSCode or Jupyter interfaces or directly in the Terminal:

cd my-project

# Check what needs to be committed
git status

# Add and commit your changes
git add .
git commit -m "Implement quantum circuit optimization"

# Push to your project repository
git push origin main

Daily Sync Routine: Establish a habit of syncing at the end of each work session.

# Quick daily sync for all projects
cd ~/projects/my-project
git add . && git commit -m "Daily progress: $(date +%Y-%m-%d)"
git push

# Check for uncommitted work across projects
find ~/projects -name ".git" -type d | while read gitdir; do
    cd "$(dirname "$gitdir")"
    if [ -n "$(git status --porcelain)" ]; then
        echo "Uncommitted changes in: $(pwd)"
    fi
done

Workspace Recovery

If you lose access to your workspace, your Git repositories remain safe. To recover:

  1. Create a new QDE workspace
  2. Clone your repositories: git clone <repository-url>
  3. Reinstall any packages: pip install -r requirements.txt
  4. Continue working - all committed work is preserved

Best Practices

Commit Frequently: Don't wait until work is "perfect" - commit incremental progress.

Use Descriptive Messages: Help your future self understand changes.

git commit -m "Add Bell state preparation circuit"
git commit -m "Fix measurement error in quantum fourier transform"

Monitor Uncommitted Work: Regularly check for files that need to be committed.

# See uncommitted changes
git status

# See uncommitted changes across all projects
for dir in ~/projects/*/; do
    if [ -d "$dir/.git" ]; then
        cd "$dir"
        if [ -n "$(git status --porcelain)" ]; then
            echo "Uncommitted work in: $dir"
        fi
    fi
done

Protecting Development Data - Summary

  1. Git repositories are permanent - treat workspace storage as temporary
  2. Commit and push regularly - daily at least
  3. Don't store important data only in the QDE workspace - always sync to Git
  4. Workspace loss is recoverable - as long as work is in Git repositories

Remember: Treat your workspace as a temporary development environment. Your Git repositories in Construct projects are the reliable, backed-up storage for all your quantum computing work.

Workspace Limits

QDE workspaces operate within resource limits designed to balance performance with system stability.

Session Duration

Active workspace sessions can run continuously for extended periods. Workspaces automatically sleep after several hours of inactivity to conserve resources while preserving your work.

Storage Limits

Workspace storage is allocated per user with generous limits for typical quantum computing projects. Monitor usage to avoid approaching limits:

# Check home directory usage
du -sh /home/coder

# Find large files
find /home/coder -size +100M -ls

Large data files should be stored in external repositories or cloud storage services instead of workspace storage.

Monitor and manage resource consumption:

# Clean up temporary files
find /tmp -user coder -delete

# Clear Python caches
find . -name "*.pyc" -delete
find . -name "__pycache__" -exec rm -rf {} +

# Clear Jupyter notebook checkpoints
find . -name ".ipynb_checkpoints" -exec rm -rf {} +

# Clean up Git repositories
git gc --aggressive

# Remove old package downloads
pip cache purge

Next Steps