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Step-by-step Alfheim DHS login guide

To log in to the Alfheim OKDHS VDI, you must first obtain an RDP file. You may have been sent one when your account was set up, or you may need to log in to the web portal to obtain one.

If you do not yet have the RDP file, follow the Part 1: Download RDP file instructions below. If you already have the RDP file, skip to the Part 2: Log in to Alfheim section.

Part 1: Download RDP file

  1. Log in to the web portal by entering this URL in your web browser: https://Alfheim.sattrn.ou.edu
Screenshot of RD Web Access login window
  1. When you get to the Work Resources login screen, enter your SATTRN username as shown above (SATTRN\username). If you are a new employee, your SATTRN password was likely provided to you by email. If you have an existing SATTRN account, the password may already be set to something you know.*

    *If you have forgotten your SATTRN password, call the work stoppage phone number at 405-521-6166 to be connected to someone who can help reset it.
  1. Once you are logged in, you will see a window with at least one option you can open under Current folder. Select OKDHS.
O K D H S desktop option under Remote App and Desktops
  1. Once you have the RDP file downloaded to your machine, it should look something like this:
rdp file name
  1. You may want to rename the file to something more memorable like this:
renamed rdp file to "alfheim - OKDHS.rdp"

Part 2: Log in to Alfheim

  1. Double-click the RDP file to open and run it. You will be prompted for a username and password, but please note you will need to change your credentials several times throughout the process in order to successfully log in, so the following instructions are CRITICAL for first-time users. Please note the “SATTRN\” and “okdhs\” elements are critical parts of the sign-in process.
  1. If you have logged in to Alfheim before, the computer will remember your DHS domain name and u number. However, do not enter your password at this stage. Instead, select More choices.
selecting "More choices" when entering credentials
  1. Once you’ve expanded More choices, select Use a different account and then enter your SATTRN username and password.
Use a different account on entering credentials
  1. Click OK. If you don’t see the following messages fly by on your screen, there may be an issue with your SATTRN credentials.
remote connection process update messages
  1. You will receive an error message saying, “The logon attempt failed.” This is normal; you have connected to the SATTRN “Alfheim” system and now will begin the process of connecting to the OKDHS virtual desktop. Select More choices again.
More choices is highlighted in "your credentials did not work" dialog box
  1. Select Use a different account and then enter your DHS username and password.
Use a different account is highlighted in "your credentials did not work" dialog box
  1. Once you’ve successfully logged in, a remote desktop window will pop up, take over all your screens, and begin logging you in to the Alfheim – OKDHS VDI system.
  1. Many of the desktop shortcuts you are accustomed to using will be found in your group’s folder within the CPM Resources folder shown below. The CPM Resources folder is updated each time you log in. If you need additional shortcuts or changes made to these files, please have your supervisor open a new TC Support ticket at tcsupport@ou.edu and request what you need added or changed.
CPM Resources folder

Visual demonstration of login process

If you’d like a visual demonstration of the Alfheim login process, view the animated GIF below or watch the Logging in to Alfheim and signing out video tutorial.

Animated demonstration of Alfheim login process

Additional information about this VDI

VDI is short for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure. This means that instead of having a physical desktop PC in the office that you can remotely access from home and directly log in to when you’re at the office, the “desktop PC” is virtual and exists among many other virtual PCs on a handful of large servers in a server room somewhere.

This is a difference that may affect your day-to-day workflow. For example, rather than remote into your PC when at home and log in to your physical machine when at the office, you may remote into your PC (VDI) when working from home AND when working at the office.

Some applications may not work within your VDI machine, such as video conferencing on Zoom or Teams. You will need to change your workflow to minimize the VDI connection and use these types of applications on the physical PC you are remoting from.

Applications that have been customized just for you may not be possible. Here is why:

  • VDI is a set of many identical machines that are reset to default apps on a semi-regular basis.
  • Your “User Profile” (where your desktop shortcuts, documents, preferences, etc. are all saved) is stored separately from the VDI PC you remote into. What this means is:
    • The machine you remote into today may not be the machine you remote into tomorrow. You will not notice when this happens because your User Profile data will follow you and all the machines are identical, but it’s important to know. If we installed an application on the machine you’re on today, you’ll be able to use it, but tomorrow you may get a different machine or it will have been reset, and the application will be gone. This is why any requests for new or custom applications on VDI will take longer than if you are using a regular PC, as the application must be added to the “source” of all the machines, and all the machines have to be rebuilt with the new source.
  • Please submit new/custom application requests through your supervisor to tcsupport@ou.edu.

When using VDI, you can be more mobile, as your office PC is only a few clicks away if you know all your passwords and https://alfheim.sattrn.ou.edu. Another benefit of using VDI is that a physical PC at a desk or in a cubicle does not need to be assigned to any one person or cordoned off to allow someone to use it remotely.