TS/RDP for virtual KM solution

[Guest Brandon Ibach]

I, along with other members of my team, have come to rely on Remote Desktop

in XP Pro both for getting work done while away from the office as well as

simplifying demos and other presentations within our building.

 

Since this feature is built in and doesn't require a separate install

(frowned upon by our IT administrators), we'd also like to make use of it as

a sort of virtual keyboard/mouse switch when using two computers side by

side, ideally shifting focus by simply moving the mouse cursor off of the

side of one screen and having it appear on the other, shifting keyboard focus

as well. I've used similar solutions in the past, such as win2vnc, based on

the x2x program for X Windows systems, which provided such functionality

based on the VNC remote access system.

 

I'd like to try to build such a solution around TS/RDP, but have had

difficulty finding relevant information in the MSDN documentation. The

ActiveX control seems like the easiest route to go, but I've not found

obvious information about overcoming the challenges of configuring the

connection so that the remote screen remains visible and so that display

updates are minimized or eliminated, with any updates discarded on the local

system.

 

Is something like this feasible? If so, can someone provide a pointer to a

good starting point (or points) in the documentation that might clarify how

to proceed? Thank you for your time and expertise...

 

-Brandon :)

[Guest Wayne Tilton]

Re: TS/RDP for virtual KM solution

 

=?Utf-8?B?QnJhbmRvbiBJYmFjaA==?=

<BrandonIbach@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

news:FB89F11E-2041-41E9-BF97-59B5E531A79D@microsoft.com:

> I, along with other members of my team, have come to rely on Remote

> Desktop in XP Pro both for getting work done while away from the

> office as well as simplifying demos and other presentations within our

> building.

>

> Since this feature is built in and doesn't require a separate install

> (frowned upon by our IT administrators), we'd also like to make use of

> it as a sort of virtual keyboard/mouse switch when using two computers

> side by side, ideally shifting focus by simply moving the mouse cursor

> off of the side of one screen and having it appear on the other,

> shifting keyboard focus as well. I've used similar solutions in the

> past, such as win2vnc, based on the x2x program for X Windows systems,

> which provided such functionality based on the VNC remote access

> system.

>

> I'd like to try to build such a solution around TS/RDP, but have had

> difficulty finding relevant information in the MSDN documentation.

> The ActiveX control seems like the easiest route to go, but I've not

> found obvious information about overcoming the challenges of

> configuring the connection so that the remote screen remains visible

> and so that display updates are minimized or eliminated, with any

> updates discarded on the local system.

>

> Is something like this feasible? If so, can someone provide a pointer

> to a good starting point (or points) in the documentation that might

> clarify how to proceed? Thank you for your time and expertise...

>

> -Brandon :)

>

 

I'm not 100% sure it is the solution you are looking for, but I've been

using a nifty little tool called Synergy. Basically it lets me have two

computers sitting side-by-side and control them both with the same

keyboard and mouse. As soon as you move your mouse off of one screen, it

appears on the other. It is not a KVM solution per se, but it does sound

like what you're after.

 

I use it with RDP all the time, but perhaps not the way you're thinking

of (I have RDP sessions on multiple systems active at once on multiple

computers). If it doesn't do exactly what you want, you might be able to

use it as a building block for your own custom code solution as it is

GPLed.

 

http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/

 

HTH,

 

Wayne Tilton

[Guest Rich Raffenetti]

Re: TS/RDP for virtual KM solution

 

I use another approach.

 

My desk machine has two monitors with its session extended to the both

monitors (also a built-in feature).

 

Then I simply RDP to a second computer and maximize its session to the

second monitor.

 

One keyboard and mouse controls both! No additional software required.

 

"Brandon Ibach" <BrandonIbach@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:FB89F11E-2041-41E9-BF97-59B5E531A79D@microsoft.com...

> I, along with other members of my team, have come to rely on Remote

> Desktop

> in XP Pro both for getting work done while away from the office as well as

> simplifying demos and other presentations within our building.

>

> Since this feature is built in and doesn't require a separate install

> (frowned upon by our IT administrators), we'd also like to make use of it

> as

> a sort of virtual keyboard/mouse switch when using two computers side by

> side, ideally shifting focus by simply moving the mouse cursor off of the

> side of one screen and having it appear on the other, shifting keyboard

> focus

> as well. I've used similar solutions in the past, such as win2vnc, based

> on

> the x2x program for X Windows systems, which provided such functionality

> based on the VNC remote access system.

>

> I'd like to try to build such a solution around TS/RDP, but have had

> difficulty finding relevant information in the MSDN documentation. The

> ActiveX control seems like the easiest route to go, but I've not found

> obvious information about overcoming the challenges of configuring the

> connection so that the remote screen remains visible and so that display

> updates are minimized or eliminated, with any updates discarded on the

> local

> system.

>

> Is something like this feasible? If so, can someone provide a pointer to

> a

> good starting point (or points) in the documentation that might clarify

> how

> to proceed? Thank you for your time and expertise...

>

> -Brandon :)