Do I Need to Keep My VPS (and RDP) Running All the Time?

Do I Need to Keep My VPS (and RDP) Running All the Time?

Category: VPS & Infrastructure | Last Updated: April 2026

One of the most common sources of confusion with cloud-based VPS setups is the difference between "the VPS running" and "your Remote Desktop session staying open." They are not the same thing — and understanding the distinction matters because some clients have accidentally shut down their VPS thinking they were just "closing" it, or kept themselves logged in unnecessarily thinking that was required for trades to run.

This article clears that up.

A VPS Is Just a Computer in the Cloud

Your VPS is a full Windows computer hosted in a data center — always powered on, always connected to the internet, running 24/7. Whatever you leave running on it (NinjaTrader, your Vector strategies, your data feed connection) continues to operate on the VPS itself regardless of whether you're looking at it through Remote Desktop.

Remote Desktop (RDP) is just your window into that computer. Think of it as a screen you plug in and unplug — the computer keeps working either way.

Closing Your RDP Session Does NOT Stop the VPS

When you close the Remote Desktop window (or disconnect), the VPS keeps running exactly as it was. Specifically:

  • NinjaTrader stays open
  • Your strategies remain attached and, if they were enabled, continue to monitor and trade
  • The broker/data feed connection stays live
  • Any open positions remain managed by whatever logic they were already under

You do not need to keep the RDP window open for trades to fire. The VPS handles everything on its side.

In fact, closing the RDP when you're done checking on your setup is the normal, expected pattern. Leaving it open unnecessarily is not required and can actually get in the way — for example, if our support team needs to access the VPS to troubleshoot, your open session would need to be replaced by theirs (VPS instances allow only one session at a time).

What You Should Avoid

What you should not do is shut down, power off, or restart the VPS unnecessarily. Those are different actions from closing the RDP:

  • Closing / disconnecting the RDP window → fine, the VPS keeps running
  • Shutting down the VPS from within Windows (Start → Power → Shut Down) → the VPS actually stops running, and nothing on it will trade until it's powered back on by your VPS provider
  • Restarting the VPS → temporary, but NinjaTrader will close, strategies will disable, and you'll need to re-enable them when it comes back up

If you ever need to restart the VPS deliberately (for example, to apply Windows updates), do it outside market hours so no trading is disrupted.

After Any Restart — Re-Run Your AM Check

Any time the VPS restarts (deliberately or unexpectedly), NinjaTrader and your strategies go through the disable-on-restart cycle just like they would on a normal morning. See the AM Check Routine article for the full routine — in short: refresh the broker connection, re-enable strategies, verify the correct account is selected, save the workspace.

Quick Reference

Action VPS still running? Strategies still trading?
Close the RDP window ✅ Yes ✅ Yes (if they were enabled)
Disconnect from RDP ✅ Yes ✅ Yes (if they were enabled)
Shut down VPS from Windows Start menu ❌ No ❌ No — VPS is off
Restart VPS Briefly interrupted ❌ No until re-enabled after reboot

Bottom Line

The VPS is a cloud computer that runs 24/7 on its own. Your RDP session is just how you look in on it — closing the RDP doesn't stop the VPS, and strategies continue trading on the VPS side without you being logged in. The only thing to avoid is explicitly shutting down or unnecessarily restarting the VPS, which would interrupt trading. When in doubt, close the RDP window and let the VPS keep doing its job.

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