Remote Desktop Connections

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Using Remote Desktop for Fast Connections at Slow Speeds

Remote Desktop is an optional Windows server capability that allows you to run applications on a host computer remotely. This may not seem very desirable, however, since Remote Desktop sends only pictures of the video screen, keyboard strokes and mouse clicks over the remote connection it's very fast even over slow-speed connections, like phone lines.

In Windows 2000, Remote Desktop is called "Terminal Services", but basically it's the same name for the same capability. Here's how it works in FirePoint.

FirePoint server runs on a server PC. A separate Remote Desktop PC is setup to host a single FirePoint client application. Since there's a high-speed connection between the FirePoint server and the Remote Desktop PC running FirePoint client, access is nearly instantaneous.

Now, using Windows client software for Remote Desktop, users can check into the Remote Desktop PC server and start the FirePoint client session. Speed is very fast and Remote Desktop allows multiple users to check-into the same FirePoint client software up to the number of users licensed in FirePoint.

Remote Desktop works the same way for all applications so investigate it's use for any application where slow-speed connections are problematic.

Consult Windows documentation for more information about Remote Desktop. Here are a few tips for using Remote Desktop:

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Configure Remote Desktop to automatically launch an app when you connect.

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Specify "Full Window" for the FirePoint client application

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Set the resolution of the monitor (i.e. the Remote Desktop window) to something less than your user's monitor size. If, for example, your monitor size is 1024 X 768, set Remote Server resolution to 800 X 600.

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Set the user's profile on Remote Desktop so that it hides the Task Bar

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Clear off everything on the Desktop -- remove all icons

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Add just one icon for the application that you set to run at startup

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Set Remote Services so that when you close the Remote Services main window, it drops your connection.

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For the final touch, create a custom desktop picture for the user's account so that if they quit your application, they get a visual cue that the window is a Remote Desktop session

Now after doing all this, here's what you get:

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User launches Remote Desktop and gets the standard Windows Login.

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Remote Desktop window opens and your app immediately launches and fills the Remote Desktop window

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If the user closes the main Remote Desktop window, the session is immediately terminated and the window goes away.

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If the user just quits FirePoint client session they see nothing in the window but the custom desktop picture and one icon to relaunch the application.

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The user can print to their local printer.

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The user cannot save files or open files from their local machine's hard drive.

Remote Desktop is a Windows server application so consult your Windows server documentation for licenses, options and functionality information.