Windows 7 / Getting Started

---

Deploy Through TS Web Access

In addition, Windows Server 2008 supports Web access to both Remote Desktop connections and RemoteApps. The advantage of this model is that no deployment is required, since client access is located on an internal web page. WS08 includes a sample web page that can serve as a starting point for your Terminal Services Web access page.

Configuration of TS Web Access (TWA) content is controlled through the Server Manager | Terminal Services | TS RemoteApp Manager node. The details pane includes settings for each of the components that make this deployment mode operate. Three actions are required:

• First, if you have separated the TS Web Access and the TS server roles onto different servers, then make sure you add the computer account of the server running TS Web Access into the TS Web Access security group on each of the TS servers you want to access through the Web. Ideally, you will make a security group containing the computer accounts of all TWA servers in your network and include this account in the local security group of each TS server.
• Second, publish RemoteApps in TWA web pages. This is done automatically when you add RemoteApps.
• Third, if you want to make a Remote Desktop available for this server in the TWA web page, then click the Change link in the Distribution With TS Web Access section of the details pane.

To connect to Terminal Services through a Web page, navigate to the following pages:

1. http://ServerName/TSWeb to use Remote Desktop connections
2. http://ServerName/TS to view a list of RemoteApps

Where ServerName is the host name of the server running the TWA service.

TIP: When you add new RemoteApps to a TS Web access list, make sure you click the Refresh link in the details pane; otherwise, the list of applications may be incomplete.

NOTE: Terminal Services includes a Web part that can be used to display TS Web access contents within a Windows SharePoint Services team site. You could, for example, use this to create a custom home page for users, which would display only the applications to which they have access.

Deploy Windows Installer Packages

This is the preferred method for RemoteApps, and it does not work for Remote Desktops. When deploying RemoteApps, this method will ensure that the RemoteApp behaves as if it was part of the user's own desktop. This means that documents will be linked, shortcuts will appear in the Start menu, and so on. In addition, using Windows Installer packages will make the shortcut much easier to deploy, since you can deploy it using Group Policy Software Delivery with ADDS. Overall, this method greatly simplifies your work.

Deploy applications by using the following procedure:

1. In Server Manager, navigate to Roles | Terminal Services | TS RemoteApp Manager.
2. In the TS RemoteApp Manager details pane, move to the RemoteApps list to select the application you want to deploy.
3. Next, select Create Windows Installer Package under Other Distribution Options. This launches another RemoteApps Wizard. Click Next.
4. In the Specify Package Settings page, review and modify the following settings:
   • Change the location to save packages to a drive that includes a shared folder, for example, D:\Administration\Packaged Programs. Share the folder as Package$ to hide it from end users by removing it from the network browse list. Terminal server settings will include the server name, the port it uses, and the authentication level to be used. By default, RDP connections use port 3389.
   • TS Gateway settings should be detected automatically if you set your GPOs properly.
   • Certificate settings are controlled by whether or not a certificate has been installed on the server. Remember, public certificates are best, since they will automatically be trusted by client PCs.
   • Click Next when done. On the next page, you configure the way the application interacts with the user's desktop. Place it in the Start menu into a custom program folder, for example, Central Applications. Also, make sure you select Associate Client Extensions For This Program With The RemoteApp, as this will let users run the RemoteApp by double-clicking the document formats it generates. Click Next.
   • Review your options and click Finish when ready. Use the Previous button to correct any settings that don't look right.
   • The wizard automatically names and saves the RDP file. Test the Microsoft Installer (MSI) before deploying it to users.
   • Deploy the MSI file to users through a GPO or other distribution mechanism.

Users will now have seamless access to your TS server RemoteApp.