Use Applications Server Mode

TS Applications Server Mode is a true multiuser environment similar to the mainframe timesharing systems that were popular in the 1970s prior to the advent of the PC. Each applications server user has an independent slice of the server and its resources. That means that the server can get overloaded. Applications servers with any significant number of simultaneous users (over five) require a powerful computer (probably 64-bit) with a substantial amount of memory (4 gigabytes [GB] or more-which you can only do with a 64-bit processor). The client, on the other hand, as described earlier, does not require much power to display the user interface, collect keystrokes and mouse events, and transmit the information to the server. Most of the processing is at the server.

Applications Server Mode uses the Terminal Server with TS RemoteApp to provide access to specific applications on the server from a remote client using Remote Desktop Connection (RDC). The previous section, "Set Up Terminal Services," described how to install and set up the overall service. In this section, we'll look at how to set up one of two ways to use that service, the running of programs or applications on the server from a separate, remote computer. To do that we'll review a couple of preparatory steps that need to be taken, then how to set up and manage TS RemoteApp, and finally, how to set up and use RDC.

Prepare for Terminal Services

You need to take several steps after installing TS and before going ahead with TS RemoteApp and RDC:

• Install Programs: After you install TS, you need to install the programs that will be used by the TS remote clients. If you already had programs installed on the server prior to installing TS, it is a good idea to uninstall and reinstall them. If you are installing several programs with shared files, such as Microsoft Office, it is a good idea to install all the programs on the same server. On the other hand, if you have several programs that will be heavily used or that may not be compatible, it is a good idea to install them on separate TS servers.
• Verify Settings: Although when TS was installed, remote connections were enabled, it is recommended that you verify that is the case on your server.
  1. Click Start | Control Panel and double-click System. Under Tasks on the left, click Remote Settings.
  2. In the System Properties dialog box Remote tab under Remote Desktop, you should see the middle option selected as shown next.
  3. If your users are using RDC 6.0 (in Windows Vista and Server 2008 by default and downloadable for Windows XP and Server 2003), you can choose the bottom option to use the more secure Network Level Authentication.
  4. Leave the System Properties dialog box open for the final preparatory step.
• Add Users: The clients or users of TS must be set up as users on the terminal server. They can be members of either Remote Desktop Users or local Administrators. To best apply group policies, it is recommended that all remote users be members of the Remote Desktop Users group even if they are also members of other groups.
  1. In the System Properties dialog box Remote tab, which should already be open from the last set of steps, click Select Users.
  2. Click Add. In the Select Users dialog box, type the names already set up on the network, or click Advanced, click Find Now to search for names, click a name (or names by holding ctrl) from the Search Results, and click OK.
  3. When you have added the names you want to add, click OK. The name(s) should be listed in the Remote Desktop Users group.
  4. If the users are listed as you want, click OK to close the Remote Desktop Users dialog box, then click OK again to close the System Properties dialog box, and finally, close the System window.