Currently, the standard login method (WebRDP) is used for Windows instances by default. It allows you to log in to a Windows instance in the console without downloading a local login client. For the login method, see Logging in to Windows Instance Using Standard Login Method.
Overview
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a multiple-channel protocol developed by Microsoft that allows a local computer to connect to a remote computer. We recommend you use RDP to log in to your Windows CVMs. This document describes how to log in to Windows instances using RDP files.
Supported Systems
You can log in to your CVMs from Windows, Linux, and MacOS using RDP.
Prerequisites
You must have the admin account and password for logging in to a Windows instance remotely.
If you have chosen to generate a random password when creating an instance, please get it from Message Center.
If you have set a login password, please use it for login. If you forgot it, please reset it.
You have purchased a public IP for your CVM instance and opened a remote login port (3389 by default) for the WebRDP proxy IP in the security group associated with the instance.
If you purchase a CVM instance through quick configuration, the port is opened by default.
If you purchase a CVM instance through custom configuration, you can manually open the port as instructed in Security Group Use Cases.
Make sure that the public network bandwidth of your instance is ≥ 5 Mbit/s; otherwise, the remote desktop may lag. To adjust the network bandwidth, please see Adjusting Network Configuration.
If you want to install the latest version, visit the rdesktop page on GitHub to find it. Then replace the path in the command with that of the latest version.
3. In the directory where rdesktop will be installed, run the following commands to decompress and install rdesktop.
tar xvzf rdesktop-<x.x.x>.tar.gz ## Replace x.x.x with the version number of the downloaded rdesktop.
cd rdesktop-1.8.3
./configure
make
makeinstall
4.
Run the following command to connect to the remote Windows instance.
Note:
Replace the parameters in the example with your own parameters.
rdesktop -u Administrator -p <your-password><hostname or IP address>
Administrator refers to the admin account mentioned in the prerequisites section.
<your-password> refers to the login password that you set.
If you use a system default password to log in to the instance, you can obtain the password at the Message Center. If you forgot your password, please reset the instance password.
<hostname or IP address> is the public IP or custom domain name of your Windows instance. For more information on how to get the public IP, please see Getting Public IP Addresses.
Note:
The following operations use Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac as an example. Microsoft stopped providing a link to download the Remote Desktop client in 2017. Currently, its subsidiary HockeyApp is responsible for releasing the beta client. Go to Microsoft Remote Desktop Beta to download a Beta version.
The following operations use a CVM on Windows Server 2012 R2 as an example.
1. Download and install Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac on your local computer.
2. Start MRD and click Add Desktop, as shown below:
3. In the Add PC pop-up window, follow the steps illustrated in the following image to establish a connection to your Windows CVM.
3.1 In the PC name text file, enter the public IP address of your CVM instance. For more information on how to obtain the public IP address, see Getting Public IP Addresses.
3.2 Click Add.
3.3 Retain the default settings for the other options and establish the connection.
Your entry has now been saved, as shown below:
4. Double-click the new entry. Input your username and password for CVM and click Continue.
5. If you use a system default password to log in to the instance, you can obtain the password at the Message Center.
7. In the pop-up window, click Continue to establish the connection, as shown below:
If the connection is successful, the following page will appear:
RDP Bandwidth Limit Description
The available network bandwidth directly affects the experience of logging in to and using CVM instances over RDP, and different applications and display resolutions require different network configurations. Microsoft has laid down the minimum bandwidth requirements for instances when using RDP in different application scenarios. Please check out the following table to make sure that the network configuration of your instance can meet your business needs; otherwise, issues such as lag may occur.
These numbers apply to a single monitor configuration with 1920x1080 resolution and with both default graphics mode and H.264/AVC 444 graphics mode.
Scenario
Default Mode
H.264/AVC 444 Mode
Description
Idle
0.3 Kbps
0.3 Kbps
User has paused their work, and there's no active screen updates.
Microsoft Word
100–150 Kbps
200–300 Kbps
User is actively working with Microsoft Word, typing, pasting graphics, and switching between documents.
Microsoft Excel
150–200 Kbps
400–500 Kbps
User is actively working with Microsoft Excel and updating multiple cells with formulas and charts simultaneously.
Microsoft PowerPoint
4–4.5 Mbps
1.6–1.8 Mbps
User is actively working with Microsoft PowerPoint, typing, and pasting. User is also modifying rich graphics and using slide transition effects.
Web browsing
6–6.5 Mbps
0.9–1 Mbps
User is actively working with a graphically rich website that contains multiple static and animated images. User scrolls the pages both horizontally and vertically.
Image gallery
3.3–3.6 Mbps
0.7–0.8 Mbps
User is actively working with the image gallery application, browsing, zooming, resizing, and rotating images.
Video playback
8.5–9.5 Mbps
2.5–2.8 Mbps
User is watching a 30 FPS video that consumes 1/2 of the screen.
Fullscreen video playback
7.5–8.5 Mbps
2.5–3.1 Mbps
User is watching a 30 FPS video that is maximized to a fullscreen.
