Windows 7 / Networking

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Understand Terminal Services

Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008 represents a significant enhancement over previous versions of TS that makes it significantly easier to both use and manage. Among the more important enhancements are TS RemoteApp, TS Web Access, TS Gateway, TS Session Broker, and Remote Desktop Connection 6.0. All of these and others will be described in the remainder of this tutorial.

Why Use Terminal Services

There are a number of reasons to use TS, among which are:

• To allow multiple people to use the same application, possibly with a common database, especially "line of business" applications and applications that are frequently updated or seldom used (applications heavy with graphics and multimedia are not good candidates for TS)
• To centralize the focus of application deployment, administration, and maintenance on a centralized server(s)
• To control applications that are available to users and how they are configured
• To use legacy hardware with older OSs when the latest Windows can't be used
• To access a computer remotely, say, one at work from one at home, or from one on the road
• To manage several to many servers remotely with remote administration

Terminal Services Modes and Components

TS has two distinct modes that it handles:

• Applications Server Mode, which allows a client computer to display a Windows desktop and run applications remotely from a server
• Remote Administration Mode, which provides the means to remotely administer a computer running Windows Server 2008 including Internet Information Services (IIS)

TS is an integral part of Windows Server 2008, as it was in Windows Server 2003, and provides a powerful, full-capability set of terminal services. Third-party companies, though, such as Citrix, provide advanced applications in the TS arena that run on Windows 2003 and 2008 servers. You can reach Citrix at http://www.citrix.com.

TS works with the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), common to Windows Server 2008 networking and the Internet, and uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). RDP is a broad protocol facilitating the simultaneous transmission of a wide range of data, including user, application, licensing, and encryption information. RDP also has the capability to transmit audio and video information.

The two modes are accomplished in Windows Server 2008 using nine separate components of TS:

• TS Manager: which provides the administrative functions for TS and Terminal Server including viewing and controlling user sessions and processes.
• TS Configuration: which allows you to determine the TS connections that are on the computer and their properties, as well as the server settings.
• Terminal Server: which is a TS role service that provides the central core of TS that allows multitasking on a server.
• TS RemoteApp: which is an element of Terminal Server that provides remote access to standard Windows programs.
• TS Web Access: which is installed as a TS role service, but is really an Internet Information Services (IIS) web application that provides access to TS RemoteApp by use of a web browser.
• TS Licensing: which is a TS role service that provides for client licensing of Windows TS.
• TS Gateway: which is a TS role service that provides secure, encrypted access to resources on a LAN connected to the Terminal Server by remote users.
• TS Session Broker: which is a TS role service that provides load balancing among several terminal servers (a "farm") and reconnects a TS client to an existing session in that farm.
• Remote Desktop Connection 6.0: which is separate client software that is preinstalled on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista Business and Ultimate, and can be downloaded for Windows Server 2003 SP1 or SP2 and Windows XP Professional SP2, that allows the client to connect to and use TS. Remote Desktop Connection 6.0 is required to use Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services, Terminal Server, TS RemoteApp, TS Web Access, and TS Gateway.