Using Remote Desktop Connection (RDP) to connect to SLES11

[Hay Bouten]

"Why?" might be your first thought quickly followed by "I use VNC for Linux". That is correct, but many IT departments have no VNC Client in their standard software portfolio. For this reason I have written this blog to show you how to configure the SAP HANA server to allow connections via the Remote Desktop Connection (RDP) protocol. This setup is a 100% SAP HANA server-side configuration, so the IT departments doesn't need to change their policy on the VNC Client software.

As of SLES11 SP2 for SAP the package xrdp is shipped. For the installation and configuration perform the following steps:

• Installation xrdp package
• Configuring the Firewall to allow RDP
• Start xrdp during boot

Installation xrdp package
The xrdp package is shipped with SLES11 SP2 for SAP, so it can be installed from the installation DVD. No extra software download is needed.

1. Start the YaST2 Control Center by selecting Menu => System => YaST

   

   Start YaST2 Control Center

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2. In the YaST2 Control Center filter on soft to find the Software Management tool and start it by selecting it.

   

   Starting Software Management

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3. In the Software Management tool search for xrdp. When found xrdp will show up on the right hand side. Select it with a right mouse click and from the context menu select the install option.

   

   Select xrdp for installation

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4. In the pop-up windows Changed Packages select Continue to install the dependencies packages.

   

   Install dependencies

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5. Click Continue in the Unsupported Packages pop-up window.

   

   Install Unsupported Packages

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6. During the installation a nice progress bar is shown. When the installation is finished you will return to the YaST2 Control Center main menu.

   

   Installation progress

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Configuring the Firewall to allow RDP
By default the SLES11 will block the RDP protocol, so we need to configure the SLES11 Firewall to allow the RDP protocol.

1. Start the YaST2 Control Center by selecting Menu => System => YaST
2. In the YaST2 Control Center filter on fire to find the Firewall tool and start it by selecting it.

   

   Start Firewall tool

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3. In the Firewall tool select Allowed Services. In the Service to Allow drop-down menu select Remote Desktop Protocol. On the right hand side select the Add button.

   

   Configure RDP on firewall

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4. Under Allowed Services theRemote Desktop Protocol is shown. Press the Next button.

   

   RDP is allowed service

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5. Check your setting in the Firewall Configuration: Summery and if everything is correct press the Finish button.

   

   Firewall Configuration: Summery

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Start xrdp during boot
By default xrdp isn't started during a system boot. In the following section I will show you how to start xrdp during the system boot.

1. Start the YaST2 Control Center by selecting Menu => System => YaST
2. ]In the YaST2 Control Center filter on run to find the System Services (Runlevel) tool and start it by selecting it.

   

   Start System Services (Runlevel)

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3. In the System Service (Runlevel): Services window select xrdp and press the Enable button followed by the OK button.

   

   Enable the service xrdp

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4. In the xrdp start returned 0 (succes) pop-up window press the OK button.

   

   Service xrdp started successfully

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5. In the System Service (Runlevel): Services window xrdp show up as started and also will be stared on every next system boot.

   

   Service xrdp started

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Now that the xrdp service is started a Microsoft Windows system can connect to the SAP HANA server using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). Below a few Windows screenshots.
Opening an RDP connection using Windows 7 and mstsc.exe.

RDP connection to SLES11 server

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Loggon to the SAP HANA server.

Loggon to SAP HANA server from Windows

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Working with SLES11 SP2 for SAP using Windows RDP protocol.

Working with SLES11 using Windows RDP

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Disclaimer: No Windows were shattered and no command line abused during the setup of RDP for SLES11 Linux.