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Accessing DeGroote MBA Apps on iOS

The DeGroote School of Business has implemented Microsoft RemoteApp to deliver applications to its students remotely over the local McMaster network and Internet (no VPN required). They are accessible from iOS based devices using the Microsoft Remote Desktop app available for no cost in the Apple App Store. Applications access is secured by an encrypted SSL connection.

Access to, and use of, the MBA applications may vary slightly between different versions of the Remote Desktop App but will follow the basic steps outlined below.

Accessing the MBA Applications Page

  1. Open the Apple App Store on your iOS device.pic1
  2. Search for “Microsoft Remote” in the store. You will find it as shown below.pic2
  3. Install the app, and then once complete, tap on the “Open” button and then tap on the
  4. Then tap on “Add Remote Resource Feed” in the menu shown here:
  5. You will be presented with a “Remote Resources” page. In the Feed URL field, enter https://vmba.business.mcmaster.ca/rdweb/feed/webfeed.aspx as show here:pic3
  6. In the User Name field, enter your MacID in the form of “ads\MacID” where MacID is your personal McMaster MacID (no quotes, case is not important – as shown below) and password.pic4
  7. Once you successfully log in, you will be presented with the MBA Applications page as shown below. From this page you will be able to launch any of the MBA applications being made available for use.pic5

Launching an Application

To launch an application, a single tap on the icon will open an application session. The first time you launch an application, you may encounter the following warning:

Simply tap on the “Don’t ask me again for connection to this computer” and then tap on “Accept”.

After a short time, your application will open in a normal window and act as if it were installed on your local computer as seen here:

pic5

Note that the application will behave normally, but expect occasional delays when accessing files on your local device.

REMEMBER: Save your files to your local device only and on a regular basis while being worked on to avoid losing any work should you become disconnected! In the event of a disconnection, your application session will remain open for up to 1 hour and upon reconnection, you will be connected back to your application with the previous state intact.

Local File System Access

You cannot access and save files on your local iOS device’s file system with current versions of the RDP Client (v.8.1.6) this functionality may be included by Microsoft in future releases.

Note: Folders listed under “Favorites” are not the folders on your local device as with a Windows system. You must click on your local device under “This PC” (most often iOS on localhost) and drill into your desired local folder.

Remote Desktop App Use

Once the application is launched, you will notice a tool bar along the top of the screen as seen below:

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Note that while using the Remote Desktop App on iOS, you can perform the following functions using this toolbar that will help make app use easier:

  • Tapping on the “arrows” symbol will allow you to zoom and scroll the application using your touchscreen.
  • Tapping on the “keyboard” symbol brings up the on-screen keyboard.
  • Tapping on the title in the toolbar will bring up special functions and Windows-equivalent key combinations often used in Microsoft Windows.

Note that your app session is running on the server, remaining in the same state until you reconnect. After a 1 hour period of inactivity, a disconnected application session will be automatically closed by the system.

Help

For any issues regarding access to the MBA applications portal, or technical issues, please contact the DSB ITS department by sending an email to: dsbits@mcmaster.ca to have a support request ticket created. Please be sure to include your Full Name and MacID in your request.