Author: Piatt, Kevin

Last Updated: 2019-08-02

 

Overview

 

Learn to navigate in and out of our Remote Desktop (RDP) environment.

 

 

Outline

1. Introduction

2. Disconnect your RDP session

3. Log off your RDP session

4. End of the day best practices

 

1. Introduction

 

We have added a couple of shortcuts on the Remote Desktop (RDP) interface that should make ending your session a bit easier. Your desktop will now look like this:

 

 

 

2. Log off your RDP session

 

The log off option will completely end your Trail Blazer session and exit the RDP application. This is the most common way to close your RDP session. When choosing this option any applications that are still running on RDP are closed. We recommend that you save and close any records that you have open as well close Trail Blazer before using this option.

 

Please note that if you have not saved data the updates you have made could be lost.

 

When you are ready to log off your session, you will double click this icon:

 

You may need to minimize Trail Blazer to expose the icon on the RDP desktop.

 

 

3. Disconnect your RDP session

 

When you finish working in Trail Blazer for the day, you have two options for ending your work in RDP. The first option is to Disconnect.

 

The disconnect option will allow you to exit the session without closing down Trail Blazer. This is the ideal option if you are running a lengthy update to the database such as an import or update of new records. Disconnecting will allow Trail Blazer to continue running on our servers, but at the same time allows you to shut down your computer or device.

 

When you are ready to disconnect your session, you will double click this icon:

 

You may need to minimize Trail Blazer to expose the icon on the RDP desktop.

 

 

4. End of the day best practices

 

Unlike Trail Blazer access credentials, everyone that uses your database shares the same username and password for RDP. RDP makes it possible to disconnect from a session without shutting down any applications or services. When you disconnect from a session it is still running on Trail Blazer’s servers. The next time anyone logs in with the same RDP credentials that user will open the previous session.

 

The benefit is that you can close out of RDP, shut down your computer, do anything else you need to do, and come back later to restart your computer and get right back to where you were.

 

The downside is that the next person to login in using those credentials may be someone else with access to the database. If Trail Blazer was left open in the last disconnected session the next person to login would then be logged into Trail Blazer as the previous user. This could provide them greater access to Trail Blazer than they should have.

 

As a best practice we recommend that users always choose the log off operation at the end of the day. This reduces the likelihood of an RDP user obtaining access they would not otherwise have. Users should only opt for the disconnect option if it is necessary to keep Trail Blazer running, but at the same time they must shut down their computer or device.

 

 

 

 

 

Related Resources

 

Article: Configure Microsoft Remote Desktop - For Mac Users (Logging into Trail Blazer on your Mac)

Article: Multiple Remote Desktop Connections on a Macintosh

Article: How to Configure your RDP (Remote Desktop) Settings on a PC to Allow Access to your Clipboard, and Disk Drives

Article: Copying Files from Macintosh to Remote Desktop

 

 

 

Trail Blazer Live Support

 

  Phone:  1-866-909-8700

   Email:  support@trailblz.com

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* As a policy we require that you have taken our intro training class before calling or emailing our live support team.

 

Click here to view our calendar for upcoming classes and events.  You can sign up other members on your team for the same training.

 

* After registering you’ll receive a confirmation email with the instructions for how to log into the GoToMeeting session where we host our live interactive training classes.

 

* This service is included in your contract.