Access a Virtual Desktop at Mat-Su College

Overview

This article contains instructions on how students can remotely connect to Windows virtual desktop at Mat-Su College.

Important
Access to this resource is restricted to individuals that meet one of the following requirements:
  • An active UAA Student registered in at least one CNT, CST, or CSNT course this semester on, or through, the Mat-Su College campus. 

In this article:

What materials do I need?

  • Internet access.
  • UA username and current UA password.
    • If you forgot your UA username or password, please visit the me.uaa.alaska.edu account recovery website.
  • Duo Push with the Duo Mobile app.
    Note
    Other MFA methods are currently not supported. If you need to enable Duo Mobile as an MFA method on your UA account, please read the Add a New Device to Duo help article.
  • Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, or Chrome OS device. 

How do I use this technology?

  1. Open a web browser
  2. Navigate to https://omnissa.link/horizonclient
  3. Download and install the Omnissa Horizon Client applicable for your device ( i.e. Chrome OS)
    • The installation will take a few minutes and requires a system restart on most non-mobile devices.
  4. After restarting, open the Onmissa Horizon Client app. 
  5. Select New Server in the upper left.
  6. Enter the name of the Connection Server: cloud.matsu.alaska.edu 
    • Click Connect.
  7. On the login screen, enter your UA username and password. 
  8. Accept the Duo Push prompt on your smartphone. 
  9. Double-click on the CSNT desktop icon.
    • This will launch a virtual desktop running Windows and already contains all the software needed for CNT, CST, or CSNT courses. 
  10. You must save all files to an external location like Google Drive or OneDrive. Once the session is closed, all data is lost. 
  11. You can log off by clicking the X on the top right of the Omnissa Horizon Client window, or using the Sign out option in the Windows virtual desktop. 
Warning
Do not save data to the virtual desktop! Any data saved to the hard drive on the virtual desktop will be deleted when your session is closed.  Save all work to an external location. See the KB article on Where Should I Save Files.

 

Troubleshooting

If you are unable to connect, follow the troubleshooting steps below:

  1. Ensure you entered your UA username (Do not include @alaska.edu after. Do not use your student ID number).
  2. Ensure you entered your current UA password correctly.
  3. Ensure you have Duo Mobile configured as an MFA method on your UA account.
    Tip
    Not having Duo Mobile configured as an MFA method on your UA account will result in a "Access denied" error. This is the most common reason for connection issues.
  4. All requirements met in What materials do I need?
  5. Reboot your device, then go back to step 1.
  6. Check the UAA ITS Status Page for possible network outages.

If you are still having issues connecting to a virtual desktop, we would be happy to assist you!

Need additional help or have issues

For assistance, contact Campus Technology Services department:

  • Phone: (907) 745-9764
  • Email: msc.techsupport@alaska.edu
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