Remote Desktop Protocol

The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a component of Microsoft® Windows® Terminal Services. Understanding RDP requires a basic understanding of Terminal Services and Terminal Services sessions.

Terminal Services provides functionality similar to a terminal-based, centralized host, or mainframe environment in which multiple terminals connect to a host computer. Each terminal provides a conduit for input and output between a user and the host computer. A user can log on at a terminal, and then run applications on the host computer, accessing files, databases, network resources, and so on. Each terminal session is independent, with the host operating system managing multiple users contending for shared resources.

The primary difference between Terminal Services and the traditional mainframe environment is that the terminals in a mainframe environment only provide character-based input and output. A Remote Desktop client or emulator provides a complete graphical user interface, including a Windows operating system desktop and support for a variety of input devices, such as a keyboard and mouse.

In the Terminal Services environment, an application runs entirely on the Terminal server. The Remote Desktop client performs no local execution of application software. The server transmits the graphical user interface to the client. The client transmits the user's input back to the server.

For more information, see the following topics:

• Terminal Services Sessions
• Remote Desktop Protocol Features
• Implementing Virtual Channels
• Terminal Services Programming Guidelines

 Last updated on Saturday, April 10, 2004

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