In today’s IT learning article, we are going to take a look at installing Terminal Services, otherwise known as Remote Desktop Services, on a Server 2008 R2 machine.
- 2016 Windows Terminal Server Licensing
- Windows Server 2019 Terminal Services
- What Is Windows Terminal Server License
Note: this is part of our ongoing series teaching IT administration basics, and might not apply to everybody.
What is Terminal Services (Remote Desktop Services)
Terminal server. A console server (also referred to as console access server, console management server, serial concentrator, or serial console server) is a device or service that provides access to the system console of a computing device via networking technologies.
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Starting with Server 2008 R2, Terminal Services has been renamed to Remote Desktop Services. RDS, as it is abbreviated, allows you to have a powerful server that all your users connect to using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). You can think of it as a computer that lots of people remote desktop into at the same time, however they all have there own user session and desktop, and are completely unaware of each other. All you applications are installed once and available for any user to run. The user can remote into the server using the Remote Desktop Connection Manager included in Windows or more often than not can connect from thin clients, in fact they can connect from anything that implements the Remote Desktop Protocol. If you are looking to save money and already have old machines, you should look at the recently launched OS from Microsoft called Windows Thin PC, which essentially turns your machines into thin clients.
Things to Watch Out For:
- Application Licensing: Not any application can be installed on a Remote Desktop Server. A prime example is Office 2010. If you want to install Office on a RDS Server you will need the Volume License version, or you wont be able to install it
- Client Access Licenses: Connecting to a RDS Server also requires licenses in the form of Per User or Per Device Client Access Licenses, this is what allows more than a single user to remote into the server. Although you will still need to purchase licenses, buying CALs is way cheaper than buying everyone a new Windows 7 license.
Note: The applications you wish to run on the Remote Desktop Server should not yet be installed, they should only be installed once you have installed the Remote Desktop Session Host Role.
Installing Remote Desktop Services
Open the Server Manager and right-click on roles, select Add Roles from the context menu
Click next on the Before You Being page to bring up a list of Roles that can be installed, select Remote Desktop Services and click next
On the Introduction To Remote Desktop Services page click next, this will bring you to the Role Services page, select the Remote Desktop Session Host as well as the Remote Desktop Licensing Service and then click next.
When you get to the application compatibility page it tells you that you should install the Session Host Role before you install your applications, just click next as we have not yet installed our applications. You are then asked if you want to require NLA, this will only allow Windows clients to connect to the Remote Desktop Session Host Server, in addition they must be running a Remote Desktop Client that support Network Level Authentication. I will go ahead and require NLA and then click next
Now you have to choose a licensing method, most of you guys wont have Remote Desktop Client Access Licenses, so you can leave your option at Configure Later this will give you unlimited access to the Remote Desktop Server for 4 Months (120 Days). However, if you do have licenses here is some information help you make your choice:
2016 Windows Terminal Server Licensing
Licensing Modes
The licenses you purchased can be used either as Per User or Per Device. It is purely up to you, however if you already have a RDS Licensing Server you will have to choose the same option you chose when importing the licenses originally.
- RDS Per User CAL – This means that every user that connects to the RDS Server must have a license. The user is assigned the license rather than the devices that he/she connects to the server from. This mode is a good choice if your users want to connect from a lot of different computers or devices (iPad, Home PC, Laptop, Phone etc)
- RDS Per Device CAL – If your users share a common workstation this is the mode for you, the license is given to the device rather than the users, this way many people can connect from a single device. However, if they try to connect from a different device they will not be able to since their user account doesn’t have a license.
I will leave mine at configure later and click next
Now you should specify who can connect to the Remote Desktop Server, I will just add my user account (Windows Geek), then click next
You are now given the option of making the RDS Server look and act more like Windows 7, this is to avoid users getting confused when they see the classic theme. I will enable the all the settings, it requires more bandwidth though, so take your network traffic into account before going click-happy and selecting everything. Once you have made your choice click next
Since we are running Server 2008 R2, we don’t need to specify a Discovery Scope so just click next again
Finally you can click on install.
Once installation is complete, reboot your server, when you log in the configuration will complete. That’s all there is to installing a Remote Desktop Server.
Activation
If you need to install your licenses you can do it through the RD Licensing Manager. You will need to activate the Server first though. I wont go through this, as it is self-explanatory.
Once you have installed you Licenses you will need to specify a license server for the RDS Session Host to use, to do this, open the RDS Session Host Configuration MMC
When the console opens double-click on the Remote Desktop license servers link.
Now you can specify your licensing mode and then hit the add button to specify a licensing server.
As I said before, you can skip this activation section and use Remote Desktop Services for 120 Days before you need to purchase a CAL. Once you have done this you will need to install your applications. However you cant just install them in any fashion you want, there is actually a special method for installing applications on a Remote Desktop Server.
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Windows Terminal Services (which was renamed Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2008 R2) has been around for many years. But lately, I've seen an increase in the number of organizations that use it. Here are a few reasons why.
Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.
Windows Server 2019 Terminal Services
1: The hardware has finally caught up
When Terminal Services debuted with Windows NT, server hardware was hard pressed to support multiple server sessions. Furthermore, 10 Mbps networks were still the standard at that time and could easily become saturated by network-intensive applications, such as Terminal Services. Today, server hardware is far more powerful than it has ever been, and running multiple operating system instances on a server is the norm. Today's servers are well equipped to handle the demands of hosting Terminal Service sessions.
2: Windows Server 2008 R2 offers a full VDI solution
Windows Server 2008 R2 allows administrators to deploy a full virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution. This means that the terminal server can be configured to host virtual desktop operating systems. When users log off, any changes they made are rolled back, and the virtual hard drive is left in a pristine condition, ready for the next user.
3: You can create dedicated virtual desktops
Normally, a virtual desktop pool is designed so that every virtual desktop within it is identical. Because users are not allowed to make changes to the virtual desktop, each VDI session begins with a pristine virtual machine. Although this technique works well, the business needs of some organizations require users to be able to make certain changes to their desktops. In these types of situations, Windows Server 2008 R2 allows you to dedicate a specific virtual desktop to an individual user. That way, the user has his or her own virtual desktop to configure as needed.
4: You can host individual applications rather than entire sessions
One of my favorite new features in Windows Server 2008 is RemoteApp. RemoteApp allows you to virtualize individual applications, as opposed to virtualizing an entire desktop. Not only is this approach less resource intensive for the server, it allows administrators to centralize application management without having to commit to a full-blown thin client environment.
5: Desktop hardware has a longer lifespan
The economy has seen better days, and everyone is looking to make the most of their IT budget. By using Terminal Services, organizations can squeeze more life out of their desktop computers. Because all the processing occurs at the server end, the desktops are essentially acting as dumb terminals. This means that using existing desktop hardware remains a viable option for much longer than it would if applications were run locally. Likewise, running applications on a terminal server may allow organizations to purchase lower-end desktop hardware than they otherwise would, resulting in cost savings.
6: Users can access their 'work computer' from anywhere
What Is Windows Terminal Server License
Supporting users who need to work from outside the office is nothing new. But if you've ever supported remote users, you know that keeping mobile computers up to date can be challenging. And if they use one computer at work and a different computer away from the office, they may be less productive when working remotely unless the two computers are configured identically. Implementing a Terminal Services environment allows remote users to have a consistent experience regardless of whether they are working in the office or on the road.
7: Application maintenance becomes easier
In a Terminal Services environment, applications are installed on a terminal server rather than on individual desktops. As a result, application patching becomes much easier because there is only one copy of each application. You no longer have to make sure that application-level patches are applied to every desktop in the organization. It is worth noting, though, that each desktop retains its own operating system, which must still be kept up to date.
8: Desktop PCs have a smaller attack surface
Because Terminal Services involves applications or desktop sessions that are centrally hosted, there's no need to install applications on individual desktops. This helps to reduce the attack surface of the desktops in your organization. Typically, the desktop computers will require an operating system, some antivirus software, and a Terminal Services client (which is included with Windows). Everything else can be run on the server.
9: Desktop provisioning becomes easier
Once an organization has adopted Terminal Services, desktops can be configured to run a minimal configuration. This makes the process of provisioning desktops a lot easier. Image files become smaller and can therefore be deployed much more quickly, and the issue of application compatibility testing (at the desktop level) goes away.
10: You may be able to give up your desktop management software
I have seen at least one real-world example of an organization that decided to give up its desktop management software after implementing Terminal Services. It had purchased the desktop management software primarily to maintain hardware and software inventories across the organization. Because the vendor required an annual maintenance contract, ongoing costs were associated with using the software. Switching to a Terminal Services environment eliminated the need for software management at the desktop, thereby allowing the organization to reduce expenses by getting rid of its desktop management software.