WCER Application Delivery Service (ADS) - Mac Instructions

Macintosh instructions for accessing and using the WCER Application Delivery Service (ADS).

Please note these additional software requirements before continuing:


Microsoft Remote Desktop

Microsoft Remote Desktop

Mac users must download and install Microsoft Remote Desktop.

This application is available from the Mac App Store for free, but does require an AppleID in order to download.

Click here to visit the App Store Preview page, which points you to the item within Mac App Store.



Palo Alto GlobalProtect




Unless you are on campus and connected to the network via an Ethernet cable, you will also need to run the Palo Alto GlobalProtect Client before you will be able to connect to the Application Delivery Service portal. This application is also available for free and comes pre-installed on all SoE issued laptops.


Please contact the MERIT help desk at helpdesk@education.wisc.edu or (608)265-4773 if you help installing or configuring either of these applications.



The instructions begin here:


Open a web browser and enter the following URL:  https://apps.wceruw.org


Log into the web portal using your SoE username and password.

You will need to add the domain qualifier to the beginning of your username.  e.g., "soe-ad\jdoe17”.


ADS Sign In




Once you have logged in to the web portal, you will see a list of available applications organized by folder. To see the applications available in a folder, single-click on the folder to open it.  You may then single-click on the "Up" folder icon to return to the parent folder.


Remote Apps and Desktops


To launch an application, single-click on the icon for that application.

As soon as you click the icon, a file will be downloaded to the Downloads folder of your Mac with a name related to the application you selected.

For example, if you clicked on Word 2013, you will find a file named “cpub-WINWORD-MSOffice-CmsRdsh.rdp” within your Downloads folder.


TIP:  If you wish, you can use this same downloaded file as a shortcut to access the application in the future.

         You could even rename it “Word 2013.rdp” for example, and move it to the desktop to make it easier to use.


Click on the downloaded file and it will launch Microsoft Remote Desktop.

You will be presented with a login window where you must enter your SoE username and password.

NOTE:  This time you do not need to add the domain qualifier before your username. Click the OK button and your application will launch.


MRD login



Please note that if this is the first time you are using the cluster there may be some delay, and some applications such as Adobe Photoshop can take 30-45 seconds to complete their launch preparations.


If you have access to full Remote Desktop servers such as the WCER Stats server collection, you may also see a Remote Desktop icon - click on this icon to be connected to the Remote Desktop server and logged in with your SoE Active Directory account.


While using Remote Applications, you will have access to the mapped WCER or School of Education user and projects drives, mapped under the same drive letters as Windows desktops and laptops which are domain members (for WCER employees these drive letters are H: and N:).  You will not have direct access to the files and folders on the hard drive of the computer you are connecting from - please save all work on the mapped drives from within the remote application.


If you do not see any applications or remote desktop links when you log in, contact the MERIT help desk - you may not be a member of the Active Directory domain group which grants access.






Keywordswcer, remote applications, app server, ADS, application, delivery, service, mac   Doc ID51795
OwnerElla T.GroupSchool of Education
Created2015-05-29 15:22:45Updated2020-03-11 15:31:29
SitesSchool of Education
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