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Configure a multi-hop connection

To reach a destination remote computer via multiple connections, you must install Remote Runtime on each intermediary remote computer, not only on the final target computer.

Scenario: RDP connections​

Consider the following scenario:

  • Machine A (with Studio and/or Robot) connects via RDP (Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol) to Machine B, and
  • Machine B connects via RDP to Machine C, where the target application is running, and the automation must be performed.

In this example, the following configuration is required:

  1. Machine A – install Studio/Robot and the Extension for Microsoft Remote Desktop and Apps (UiPath RDP extension).

  2. Machine B – install the Extension for Microsoft Remote Desktop and Apps and UiPathRemoteRuntime.msi.

  3. Machine C – install UiPathRemoteRuntime.msi.

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If other types of connections are used between two machines, you must configure a connection at each hop, with the appropriate extension:

  • Extension for Citrix for the case of Citrix connection
  • Extension for Microsoft Remote Desktop and Apps (UiPath RDP extension) for the case of RDP connection
  • Extension for VMWare Horizon for the case of VMWare connection
  • Extension for Amazon WorkSpaces for the case of connections to Amazon WorkSpaces

Scenario: RDP connection and Citrix connection​

Let's consider another scenario in which:

  • Machine A (with Studio and/or Robot) connects via RDP to Machine B, and

  • Machine B connects via Citrix to Machine C, where the target application is running, and the automation must be performed.

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On Machine B (or other intermediary machines), you can install the extension with one of these methods:

Scenario: Remote Desktop published as RemoteApp​

A more difficult to detect scenario is for example the one where Windows Remote Desktop is published as a RemoteApp, and this Remote Desktop is used to access the target application through a RDP connection:

  • Machine A (with Studio and/or Robot) uses Windows Remote Desktop published as a RemoteApp on Machine B, and

  • Machine B accesses through an RDP connection the Machine C where is running the target application.

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This may initially seem like a direct connection from the Machine A to the Machine C via RDP, but it is actually a multi-hop scenario.

Such a configuration can be identified:

  • by trying to indicate a target UI element in the target application. In this case you can observe in the selector a window having the class 'RAIL_WINDOW'. Example: <wnd app='mstsc.exe' cls='RAIL_WINDOW' title='...' />

  • by opening the .rdp file with a text editor, where the following line can be found: remoteapplicationmode:i:1

In this case UiPathRemoteRuntime.msi needs to be installed on the 2 remote machines from this double-hop setup:

  1. The remote machine from where the Remote Desktop is published as a RemoteApp (Machine B).
  2. The remote machine to which we RDP to access the target application (Machine C).

On Machine B, the RDP extension can be installed with one of these methods:

Automating Java or web applications​

Regardless of your multi-hop connection scenario, if you are automating a Java application or a web application, you must also install the corresponding extension (the extension for Java, Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox) on the remote machine. This can be done by running: