Telework and Flexible Work Tools
A variety of tools are available that enable you to work while not physically on campus. You will find resources that can be used to work remotely during scheduled telecommuting, as well as inclement weather closures, delayed openings, or other emergencies.
The Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) service provides a secure, virtual Windows desktop for faculty, staff, or students who need to securely access an on-premises, University Windows device from a remote location. This is an Azure based cloud service that colleges, schools, and units (CSU) can take advantage of to provide a virtual Windows desktop environment or publish applications for their faculty, staff, or students.
This option is for remote users who don’t have a university issued device but do have a personal computer at home. Users can use their personal computer to access a virtual Windows desktop or published application via the internet, which has been populated with common applications, and other apps specific to that certain employee’s job functions.
This setup is ideal for those who need to work on sensitive UT information not suited for non-UT computers.
If you are a faculty, staff, or student in a CSU, please contact your designated Technical Support Contact (TSC) and/or desktop support group and have them determine if a Windows Virtual Desktop deployment is appropriate for you or your CSU. ITS can provide some experiential information and some assistance as required for a CSU to deploy a Windows Virtual Desktop solution for units. Connection and deployment details can be found here:
If your CSU has not setup this solution for your area, you will receive a message like the following when trying to access the service: It looks like your system administrator hasn’t set up any resources for user <username>@austin.utexas.edu yet. Please choose a different account or try again. If you believe you have received this message in error, please contact your system administrator.
In this case, please contact your designated TSC and/or desktop support group for your area.
For faculty and staff, secured, on-premises access to commonly used applications like Office365 applications for access to university email, browsers and other duty specific applications from your CSU.
For students, applications can be made available by CSU’s that are needed to support course work.
The service is offered through the university's Microsoft Azure agreement, however WVD is not centrally established, managed or funded, so your CSU may not offer this solution. If your CSU has deployed the solution and authorized you to access resources, you can use the portal to connect to the service.
There is no cost for customer supported currently by TRecs.
Technical support is available during university business hours - typically M-F 8:00am to 5:00pm (excluding university holidays).
Routine requests are typically addressed within one business day. UT Service Desk staff may escalate requests as needed.
A Microsoft Remote Desktop Gateway (RDG) service has been established to provide secure access to Windows Remote Desktop sessions on campus. The RDG allows compatible clients to securely access Windows computers on campus using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). The RDG requires two-factor authentication with Duo prior to granting access to a Windows Remote Desktop session located on campus.
This allows for connecting to windows machines on campus with requiring the use of the VPN.
Customers can configure compatible Remote Desktop clients to use the gateway at rdg.austin.utexas.edu.
Please note that the RDG requires both EID authentication and two-factor authentication (2FA) with Duo.
Due to limitations with Duo integration for the RDG, customers must have a default device configured in the Duo registration portal.
Once a customer is authenticated to the RDG, they may authenticate to the Windows desktop using non-EID credentials such as department AD accounts.
No cost to faculty, staff, and students
Technical support is available during university business hours - typically M-F 8:00am to 5:00pm (excluding university holidays).
Routine requests are typically addressed within one business day. UT Service Desk staff may escalate requests as needed.