Remote Desktop Access

Owned by David Zou
Last updated: Feb 21, 2023
3 min read

NIDA provides remote desktop servers in order to access licensed software as well as allowing access to on-site resources while working remotely.

Prerequisites

You must have Microsoft Authenticator set up as your default Multi-Factor Authentication method in order to access these remote desktop servers while off site.

See this page for instructions on setting up Microsoft Authenticator: Microsoft Authenticator App Setup

Remote Desktop Servers

Server

Access For

Connection
Timeout

Session
Timeout

Purpose

Server

Access For

Connection
Timeout

Session
Timeout

Purpose

KENRDS01

Staff

8 hours

5 days

General staff apps

KENRDS00

Staff and Students

3 hours

8 hours

For more demanding apps such as CAD and multimedia

Connection Timeout

You will automatically be disconnected from the remote desktop if no user input is received for the specified time. This means you will need to re-authenticate in order to connect back into the server. While disconnected, any running applications will remain open.

Session Timeout

If you disconnect from your remote desktop without signing out, the server will keep your applications running until the specified session timeout is reached. When the timeout is reached, the server will sign the user out and any unsaved work will be lost. Ensure you save your work and manually sign out when possible.

Connecting to the Remote Desktop Servers

Windows and MacOS

  1. Download the pre-configured settings for one of the server you wish to connect to

    1. KENRDS01 - Staff: Here

    2. KENRDS00 - Students and Staff: Here

  2. Double click on the downloaded rdp file to initiate a connection.
    If you are using a Mac, you will need to install the Microsoft Remote Desktop App by Microsoft from the Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/microsoft-remote-desktop/id1295203466

     

  3. Enter your NIDA email address and password when prompted

     

  4. If you are connecting from off-site, you will need to then open the Microsoft Authenticator app on your mobile device and tap on the “Approve” button in order to approve the sign in. You will have 30 seconds to perform the approval.

    If you are having trouble approving the requests, cancel the connection and wait 1 minute before trying again from step 2. Cancel any approvals that may show up prior to trying again.

Controls

When connected to a remote desktop in full-screen, you will get a blue bar at the top of the screen with some basic controls and text indicating the server name.

  1. Pin Connection Bar - This toggle can be used to pin or unpin the blue connection bar from showing at the top of the screen. When pinned, the bar will remain an the screen all the time. When un-pinned, it will disappear automatically after a few seconds. To show the bar again, simply move the mouse pointer to the very top edge of the screen.

  2. Minimize - This button will minimize the remote desktop connection and return you to the computer you connected from.

  3. Disconnect - This button will close the remote desktop connection and return you back to the computer you connected from.