Requesting and Managing Requests in IBM Technology Zone

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Abstract

This guide walks users through how to request environments in IBM Technology Zone and how to manage those requests using the My Requests page. It explains what happens after submission, how to access environments, and how to use common management features such as extensions, sharing, transfers, cloud invites, approval tracking, and more.

Content

Overview

IBM Technology Zone allows users to request on‑demand and approval‑based environments to support demos, pilots, workshops, learning, and solution validation. After submitting a request, all activity related to that environment is managed through the My Requests page.

This document covers:

How to make a request for a TechZone environment
What happens after submission
How to use the My Requests page to manage access and lifecycle actions

Who Should Use This Guide

This guide is intended for:

IBM Go‑to‑Market teams: Technical Sales, Client Engineering, Customer Success, Expert Labs, and Technical Enablement
IBM Business Partners registered through Partner Plus
IBM Champions (clients and partners), with access to a select set of Certified environments

These users can request and manage environments within Technology Zone and may share access with clients, enabling them to experience IBM technology firsthand in a guided environment.

Anyone with access to a requested or shared environment—including clients who have been granted access—can view their environment details and access information from the My Requests page, ensuring visibility throughout the lifecycle of the request.

How to Make a Request in Technology Zone

What Is a Request?

A request in IBM Technology Zone is a formal way to ask for access to a temporary, cloud-based environment. An environment is a pre-configured or customizable setup that may include software, infrastructure, and data needed to demonstrate, test, learn, or support a specific IBM use case.

Requests ensure that:

The right environment is provisioned for the right purpose
Capacity and approvals are managed appropriately
Environments are available for a defined period of time

Some environments are available immediately, while others require approval before they are provisioned.

How to Make a Request

Step 1: Browse Available Content

There are three ways to find the right environment in IBM Technology Zone:

Option 1: Start with Certified Images (Recommended)

Begin by browsing Certified Base Images. These are pre-built, validated environments designed for common use cases and faster onboarding. They’re ideal if you want a reliable, ready-to-use setup with minimal configuration.

Option 2: Browse the Collections Catalog with Search

Explore collections, environments, or any asset in our IBM Technology Zone catalog to discover environments grouped by technology, role, or learning path. Environment tiles highlight key details such as infrastructure type, intended purpose, and whether approval is required. Leverage our Search page to get started with this option.

Option 3: Use AskTZ (AI Assistant)

If you’re unsure where to start or have a specific requirement, use AskTZ, IBM Technology Zone’s AI assistant. AskTZ can recommend or help request the appropriate environment based on your use case.

Step 2: Open the Request Form

Select an environment and choose Request to open the request form. Complete the required fields, which will include:

Request name and description
Intended use or business purpose
IBM Sales Cloud opportunity code or Gainsite Relationship ID
Preferred deployment geography
Requested start and end dates
Configuration customizations (such as sizes, versions, node counts, etc., depending on the environment)

Step 3: Submit Your Request

After submission:

You will receive a confirmation email
Requests will enter Provisioning, Pending approval, or Scheduled status if scheduled out in advance
The request will appear on the My Requests page for tracking and management

Introducing the My Requests Page

What Is the My Requests Page?

The My Requests page is the central place to view, track, and manage all of your TechZone requests. It provides visibility into request status, environment details, and available actions throughout the lifecycle of a reservation.

You can access My Requests by selecting My TechZone in the top navigation bar and then selecting My requests in the drop down menu.

What You’ll See on the My Requests Page

Each request is displayed with key details, such as:

Environment request name
Current status (Pending, Pending approval, Provisioning, Ready, Expired, Failed, Deleted)
Start and end dates (along with expiry count down and extend limits
Request ID

Selecting Open this reservation on a request card opens the full request details page.

Managing Your Requests: Common Actions

View Collection

View Collection helps you quickly access the full collection an environment belongs to. Use this option to find content owner contact information, review related resources, guides, or documentation, and explore other environments the author has bundled together.

You can access the full collection an environment belongs to directly from My Requests:

Go to My Requests
Locate the request card for the environment
Select the three‑dot (⋯) menu in the top‑right corner of the request card
Choose View collection

Request Extensions

Most environments in IBM Technology Zone allow extensions. If extensions are enabled for the environment you requested, you can extend your request using self‑service options.

Key Things to Know

Extensions must be requested before the current end date (before expiry)
The number of extensions and maximum duration depend on the environment’s specific policies

How to Request an Extension

You can view your extension eligibility and request an extension directly from My Requests:

Go to My Requests
Locate your request card
Select the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the request card
Choose Extend
On the extension panel, review how many extensions remain right above the end date field
Select a new end date and click Extend

For additional details, refer to the TechZone Reservation Duration Policies.

Share Environments

Sharing allows you to grant access to other users—such as teammates or clients—so they can collaborate in the same environment. Shared users can access and use the environment, but only the request owner can manage lifecycle actions such as extensions, transfers, and deletion, as outlined in this document.

You can share an environment directly from My Requests:

Go to My Requests
Locate the request card for the environment
Select the three‑dot (⋯) menu in the top‑right corner of the request card
Choose Share
Enter the user’s email into the 'share with' field and select Submit

Once shared, the user will be able to view and access the environment from their My Requests page.

Important: If the shared environment includes an IBM Cloud account, be sure the shared user accepts the cloud invitation. Access to cloud resources will not be available until the invite is accepted.

Transfer Ownership

Transferring ownership allows you to hand off responsibility for an environment to another eligible user. Once transferred, the new owner gains full control over the request, including extensions, sharing, and other management actions.

You can transfer ownership directly from My Requests:

Go to My Requests
Locate the request card for the environment
Select the three‑dot (⋯) menu in the top‑right corner of the request card
Choose Transfer
Enter the email address of the person you want to transfer the request to
Type the request name to confirm the transfer
Select Submit to complete the ownership transfer

After the transfer is complete, the new owner will see the environment in their My Requests page and will be responsible for managing the request going forward.

Re‑reserve an Environment

Re‑reserving allows you to quickly start a new request using a previously requested environment as a reference. This option takes you back through the request form so you can submit a new request without starting from scratch.

You can re‑reserve an environment directly from My Requests:

Go to My Requests
Locate the request card for the environment you previously used
Select the three‑dot (⋯) menu in the top‑right corner of the request card
Choose Re‑reserve
Review and complete the request form, following the standard request flow
Submit the request to provision a new environment

Important: Re‑reserving does not reuse the original account, cluster, or environment. A net‑new environment is provisioned each time you re‑reserve, even if the request is based on a prior reservation.

Delete Requests

Deleting a request allows you to end access and deprovision an environment before its scheduled end date. This is useful when an environment is no longer needed or was created in error.

You can delete a request directly from My Requests:

Go to My Requests
Locate the request card for the environment
Select the three‑dot (⋯) menu in the top‑right corner of the request card
Choose Delete
Type the request name to confirm the request to be deleted
Select Submit to complete the delete action

Once deleted, the environment is deprovisioned and cannot be recovered.

Important: Only the request owner can delete a request. If the environment has been shared, deleting the request will remove access for all shared users.

Best Practices for Managing Requests

Monitor request end dates to avoid expired environments
Request extensions early when eligible
Share environments instead of creating duplicate requests
Transfer ownership when responsibility changes or during planned time away.
Review request details from the form summary step to confirm accuracy before submitting request

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