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Advanced features
These features are available to both the Macintosh and Windows versions of the
client software.
- Bandwidth reduction features The Remote Desktop
Protocol (RDP) supports various mechanisms to reduce the amount of data
transmitted over a network connection. Mechanisms include data compression,
persistent caching of bitmaps, and caching of glyphs and fragments in RAM.
The persistent bitmap cache can provide a substantial improvement in
performance over low-bandwidth connections, especially when running
applications that make extensive use of large bitmaps.
- Connect to an alternate network port You can connect to
Windows-based computers that have been configured to accept Remote Desktop
connections on a network port other than the default port (3389).
- Connect to the console session You can connect to the
Windows console session by holding down the COMMAND (
)
key when you click Connect. This option is available only when
connecting to a computer running Windows Server 2003.
- Encryption RDP uses RSA Security's RC4 cipher, a
stream cipher designed to efficiently encrypt small amounts of data. RC4 is
designed for secure communications over networks. Beginning with
Windows 2000, administrators can choose to encrypt data using a 56-bit
or 128-bit key.
- Network load balancing RDP takes advantage of Network
Load Balancing, available in some versions of Windows Server.
- Session shadowing (remote control) Session shadowing
allows multiple client connections to share and collaborate by
simultaneously viewing or controlling a session running on the Windows-based
computer. For instance, computer support staff can use this feature to view
and control the Windows-based computer. The ability to share input and
display graphics with another user while connected gives a support person
the ability to diagnose and resolve problems remotely. Only sessions on
Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 can be shadowed. See the
documentation that came with your Windows server software for more
information.
- Virtual channels Using the virtual channel architecture
of the RDP, existing applications can be augmented and new applications can
be developed to add features that require communications between the
computer you connect from and an application running on the computer you
connect to.
Related topics
About copying and pasting to and from the Windows-based computer
About printing to your Macintosh printers from the Windows-based computer
About performance options
About Windows licensing
About security
About the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)
Differences between the Windows and
Macintosh versions
Where connection options are stored