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 any Windows based computer using any of the popular web browsers including Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Google Chrome (Chrome), and Mozilla Firefox (Firefox). Applications access is secured by an encrypted SSL connection.
Access to, and use of, the MBA applications varies little between browsers and can be accomplished by following the steps below. Any differences in behaviours between browsers are covered.
From this page you will be able to launch any of the MBA applications being made available for use. Some groups of applications, such as Microsoft Office, may be in folders that can be opened by a single mouse click. You can navigate back to the MBA Applications home page/folder by clicking on the “Up” folder visible at far left.
To launch an application, a single click on the icon will open an application session. Depending on the browser you use, the application session startup may differ slightly as outlined in the following example launching Microsoft Word.
Simply click on the file (and select Open) to launch the application. You will then be presented with a secondary login prompt. Enter your MacID and password as shown here:
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:
Note that the application will behave normally, but expect occasional delays when accessing files on your local computer. REMEMBER: Save your files to your local computer 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 1hour and upon reconnection, you will be connected back to your application with the previous state intact.
You can access files on your local hard drives as normally done. You only need to be aware that your drives will be labelled in the form “C on Computername” in the Windows File Explorer. When saving a file in Microsoft Word, for example, your local drives will appear as choices in the left navigation pane as shown here:
Note: Folders listed under “Favorites” are not the folders on your local computer. You must click on your local hard drive under “This PC” (most often C on Computername) and drill into your desired local folder (i.e. C on Computername\Users\username\Desktop).
In most cases, common printers installed on your local computer can be accessed normally from within a RemoteApp application. Simply be aware that your printers will appear with a (redirected) label after the printer name.
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.