Running a process on a remote server from another remote server via RDP

[MaximilianoChal]

Hello,

I'm running a process on a remote server computer (svr2) from another remote server computer (svr1) and these are the steps I'm performing so far:

1) From my local machine, I connect to svr1 via RDP.
2) I open Blue Prism on svr1.
3) Now being on svr1 I open a RDP connection to connect to svr2.
4) I log in with the corresponding credentials on svr2 and then I minimize this RDP connection.
5) I see on svr1 where I have Blue Prism open (on Control Room) that svr2's state is "Idle".
6) I wait for some time and then I drag the process to run on svr2 and let it start.
7) I open the RDP window to watch the process on svr2.

The process starts correctly but then somehow fails, now it's not finding the elements and also it's not maximizing the windows (it performs actions with Internet Explorer 11). At the end, its status is "Completed" but with a System Exception. Other times, the final status is "Warning".

Do I interfere with the process if I open the RDP window as I watch how it is performing the tasks? (without touching anything on my local machine)
Do I need to maximize the RDP window in order to make it work successfully? What if I minimize it and re-activate it multiple times as I'm doing other stuff on my local machine?

Thanks!

------------------------------
Maximiliano Chalub
Automation Developer
Buenos Aires, Argentina
------------------------------

[PritamPoojari]

Hi

It is known issue with RDP when you minimize or disconnect the session it can cause problems with automation. This is just they way RDP works see link for more information.

https://portal.blueprism.com/customer-support/support-center#/path/Operational-Support/Monitoring/Remote-Tools/1137406062/Which-Remote-Access-tools-do-Blue-Prism-recommend.htm

Have you considered using BP Login agent instead of logging into svr2 VM instead?
https://bpdocs.blueprism.com/bp-6-7/en-us/Guides/login-agent/login-agent.htm


Regards
Pritam

------------------------------
Pritam Poojari
Solution Architect
Capgemini
Europe/London
------------------------------

[MaximilianoChal]

Hi Pritam,

Correct. I tried with the BP Login Agent as well, but how can I monitor the execution of the process in this case? I ran the Login Agent first and then the process but from Control Room on svr1 without being able to watch it on svr2.

I'm not sure how to monitor the process if I use the BP Login Agent since I would need to open a new RDP connection and log in again - Even though I already logged in with the BP Login Agent. This would not make sense to me.

Every time that I used the Login Agent I couldn't watch the process performing its actions, I could only monitor it via Control Room on svr1 instead.

Thanks,
Max

------------------------------
Maximiliano Chalub
Automation Developer
Buenos Aires, Argentina
------------------------------

[PritamPoojari]

Hi Max

I understand that you wish to monitor the session, in which case you have two options :

1. Use other remote access tools instead of RDP (see link which I send in my previous message for alternatives)
2. If RDP is the only option available then login to the VM svr2 manual (without login agent) and don't minimize the screen. Trigger the process from svr1. 

Hope that helps

Regards
Pritam




------------------------------
Pritam Poojari
Solution Architect
Capgemini
Europe/London
------------------------------

[MaximilianoChal]

Hi Pritam,

Yes, I'm currently doing your option 2.
In the middle of the execution, however, the process started to fail, and the main reason why is because it's not maximizing a window from Internet Explorer. I think that this is because the RDP connection, since the performance of the execution tends to be poor in RDP connections, as we already know.

I will keep trying without watching it since I cannot run it remotely with another tool so far. So the action I will take now will be run it from Control Room with Login Agent. But this is kinda frustrating since apparently there's no way I can monitor the process via RDP while it's running without failing.

Thanks,
Max

------------------------------
Maximiliano Chalub
Automation Developer
Buenos Aires, Argentina
------------------------------

[MaximilianoChal]

Hi Pritam,

Just want to share with you that I'm still working on this and these are the results so far (when running the process using BP Login Agent): 

1) The process works perfectly fine and retrieves the desired output when I run it from Control Room on svr2 from svr1.
In this case, svr1 is an Interactive Client (Dev environment) and svr2 is the Runtime Resource for Dev.

2) The process is failing when I run it from Control room on svr2 from svr1.
In this case, svr1 is an Interactive Client (Qual environment) and svr2 is the Runtime Resource for Qual.

I don't know why the process behaves differently on both environments when it's not supposed to do so. Particularly, the process on scenario 2) is not able to maximize a window (I've already watched it as I told you before via RDP) and also the same thing happens while running it like this by using the BP Login Agent.

Any suggestions on this?

Thank you 🙂
Max

------------------------------
Maximiliano Chalub
Automation Developer
Buenos Aires, Argentina
------------------------------

[DaveMorris]

Have you been able to get Maximize Window to work at all on the Qual machine?

------------------------------
Dave Morris
Cano Ai
Atlanta, GA
------------------------------

[MaximilianoChal]

I haven't. I am not able to log in as a Dev on Qual machines and therefore I cannot test the process locally or step by step. The only way I can run the process on Qual machines is remotely via Control Room either with BP Login Agent or with a RDP connection by login in manually. 
imgbp1.png: The window which is not being maximized on Qual.
imgbp2.png: The BP login portal on Qual machines.

Thank you,
Max

------------------------------
Maximiliano Chalub
Automation Developer
Buenos Aires, Argentina
------------------------------

[PritamPoojari]

Hi Max

Sorry but I have no idea why IE is not maximizing in your Qual environment. Looks like there is some difference between the two environments? Are you connecting to the same system in Dev & Qual, perhaps you are using dev version of the application which behaves differently?

------------------------------
Pritam Poojari
Solution Architect
Capgemini
Europe/London
------------------------------

[MaximilianoChal]

I found the error and I want to share with you (see attachment).

Like I said above, the process runs Internet Explorer and there's a slight difference between both windows - The one that is not being maximized - in Dev and Qual environments.

I don't know exactly why this is happening, but at least I could make the adjustments to make it work: I spied the element again and changed its fingerprint so that it matches with both window types (kinda difficult though). I'm still testing it. 

Do feel free to add any suggestions in case you have, they will be very helpful.

Thank you,
Max

------------------------------
Maximiliano Chalub
Automation Developer
Buenos Aires, Argentina
------------------------------