What is remote desktop protocol (RDP)?
Remote desktop protocol (RDP) is a secure network communications protocol developed by Microsoft. It enables network administrators to remotely diagnose problems that individual users encounter as well as gives users remote access to their physical work desktop computers.
Example uses of RDP include employees who are working from home or travelling and need access to their work computers as well as admins who are providing system maintenance.
To use a remote desktop session, a user or admin must employ RDP client software to connect to the remote Windows PC or server, which must be running RDP server software. A graphical user interface enables the remote user or admin to open applications and edit files just as if they were sitting in front of their desktop.
RDP clients are available for most versions of Windows as well as for macOS, Linux, Unix, Android and iOS. An open source version is also available. RDP is an extension of the International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication (ITU-T) T.128 application sharing protocol.