Configuring and Using RemoteApp and Desktop Connection

RemoteApp and Desktop Connection requires configuration on both the server and client side. On the server side, you need a Windows Server 2008 R2 server that has the Remote Desktop Services role installed together with the following role services:

• Remote Desktop Session Host
• Remote Desktop Web Access
• Remote Desktop Connection Broker

In addition, if you want users on client computers to also be able to connect to virtual machines using RemoteApp and Desktop Connection, you must install the Remote Desktop Virtualization Host role service, which also requires installing the Hyper-V role to the server.

For guidance on configuring RemoteApp and Desktop Connection on the server side, refer to steps 1 and 2 in the "Deploying RemoteApp Programs to the Start Menu by Using RemoteApp and Desktop Connection Step-by-Step Guide" found at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd772639.aspx. You will also need to import the SSL certificate for the Remote Desktop Web Access server to your client computers before the users of these computers can use RemoteApp and Desktop Connection. For information on how to import certificates, see step 3 of the above guide.

After you have configured your servers and have installed certificates on your clients, you can configure RemoteApp and Desktop Connection on the client side by following these steps:

1. Open RemoteApp and Desktop Connection from Control Panel.
2. Click Set Up A New Connection With RemoteApp And Desktop Connections to launch the New Connection wizard.
3. Type the URL to the Remote Desktop Web Access server in the Connection URL box.
4. Click Next to add connection resources for the RemoteApp And Desktop Connection (be sure to enter your credentials if prompted to do so). When the connection resources have been added, the details of the RemoteApp And Desktop Connection will be displayed.
5. Click Finish to complete the wizard.
6. To view all RemoteApp And Desktop Connections that have been added to the client, open RemoteApp And Desktop Connections again from Control Panel.
7. You can now access your RemoteApp programs from the RemoteApp and Desktop Connections folder of your Start menu.
8. You can even access them by searching for them using Start menu search.
9. When you start a RemoteApp program, a balloon notification above the system tray icon indicates that a RemoteApp program is being used.

Administrators can create a RemoteApp and Desktop Connection client configuration file wcx) and distribute it to users so they can automatically configure the RemoteApp and Desktop Connection. Administrators can also use scripts to run the client configuration file silently on the client so that the RemoteApp and Desktop Connection is set up automatically when the user logs on to her Windows 7 computer.

To create a .wcx configuration file, follow these steps:

1. Open Remote Desktop Connection Manager on your Remote Desktop Connection Broker server.
2. Right-click on the root node in the console tree and select Create Configuration File.
3. In the Create Configuration File dialog box, type the URL to the Remote Desktop Web Access server in the RAD Connection Feed URL box.
4. Click Save, then distribute the configuration file to users as e-mail attachments, by placing them on a network share, or by using scripts.

For more information on RemoteApp and Desktop Connection, see the Remote Desktop Services section of Microsoft TechNet at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc770412.aspx.