Accessing your Virtual Machine (VM) for Research

If you have requested that a Virtual Machine be created for your research computing needs, you will need a couple bits of information to access it:

1. Your NetID and password
2. Your VM's hostname (this should be given to you by your Technology Support representative)
3. A Connection to SU's Network - this can be from any computer.
   A few notes:
   1. If your computer is a campus managed -
      1. Windows Laptop - it should be configured with Device Tunnel, and you shouldn't need to do anything extra.
      2. Mac - it should be configured to be able to easily connect to the SU VPN - you'll need to do that prior to connecting to your VM.
   2. If your computer isn't campus managed, that's okay - you need SURA, and Microsoft Remote Desktop. This is built into Windows, and you can download the MacOS Client from the MacOS App Store.

From Windows

1. Open Microsoft Remote Desktop - you can do this from the Search Bar by typing in "Remote Desktop" and letting Windows present you with "Remote Desktop Connection"
2. Type the hostname of your VM, given to you by Whitman IT.
3. Click "Connect"
4. Enter your NetID username and password - from a personally owned device, your NetID should be formatted as "ad\netid" (i.e., ad\jgorma01)
5. If you're prompted with a dialog warning you that the certificate of the remote computer can't be verified, that's okay - click Continue.
6. You should be connected and your desktop should load. Your VM uses the same G/H drive configuration as your campus-managed laptop/desktop. You also have the option to store data on your VM - you can make a folder on the C drive to do that.

From MacOS

1. Open the Microsoft Remote Desktop App
2. In the top-middle of the window you will see two buttons - one for Desktops, the other for Apps. Select Desktop if it isn't already selected.
3. If this is the first time you've run the app, in the center of the screen there should be a button that says "Add Desktop", which you can click.
4. In the Add Desktop Dialog, in the section for PC Name, type the hostname given to you by your Whitman IT representative.
5. In the User Account: selection, leave it at "Ask me every time". 
6. Click Save.

You should now have a large icon for your VM's connection in the Desktops section of the Microsoft Remote Desktop app. Double Click it, and enter your NetID and password (enter your NetID as "ad\NetID" (i.e. ad\jgorma01) and you will be connected.

Please note you may receive a warning stating that the authenticity of the computer's security certificate can't be verified, or that it is self-signed. This is expected and not a concern. It is safe for you to continue.