Terminal Services Overview

Terminal Services can provide access to Windows based applications from almost any location to almost any computing device. Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008 includes Terminal Services RemoteApp (TS RemoteApp). Please note that the Terminal Services role cannot be installed on Domain Controller.

Terminal Services Terminology

• TS Remote App: Allows users to run a program located on a remote server from desktop as if it is running from the desktop.
  TS Web Access: It provides Web interface for accessing applications published on the Terminal Server
• TS Gateway: It provides authorized users to access to the remote application published behind the Firewall without needing VPN connectivity.
• TS Licensing: It manages the Terminal Services Client access licenses (TS CALs) that are required to connect to a Terminal Server. You can use TS Licensing to install, issue and monitor the availability of TS CALs.
• TS Session Broker: It helps in load balancing the sessions between the Terminal Servers in the Farm.

What are RemoteApp programs?

RemoteApp programs are programs that are accessed remotely through Terminal Services and appear as if they are running on the end user's local computer. Instead of being presented to the user in the desktop of the remote terminal server, the RemoteApp program is integrated with the client's desktop, running in its own resizable window with its own entry in the taskbar. Users can run RemoteApp programs side-by-side with their local programs. If a user is running more than one RemoteApp program on the same terminal server, the RemoteApp programs will share the same Terminal Services session.

In Windows Server 2008, users can access RemoteApp programs in the following ways:

• Access a link to the program on a Web site by using TS Web Access.
• Double-click a Remote Desktop Protocol (.rdp) file that has been created and distributed by their administrator.
• Double-click a program icon on their desktop or Start menu that has been created and distributed by their administrator with a Windows Installer (.msi) package.
• Double-click a file where the file name extension is associated with a RemoteApp program. This can be configured by their administrator with a Windows Installer package.

The .rdp files and Windows Installer packages contain the settings that are needed to run RemoteApp programs. After opening a RemoteApp program on their local computer, the user can interact with the program that is running on the terminal server as if it were running locally. The applications to be published on TS RemoteApp must be installed only after the Terminal services role is installed.

Distributing RemoteApp programs

RemoteApp program can be distributed in the following deployment methods:

• You can make RemoteApp programs available on a Web site by distributing the RemoteApp programs through TS Web Access.
• You can distribute RemoteApp programs as .rdp files or Windows Installer packages as .msi through a file share, or through other distribution mechanisms such as Microsoft Systems Management Server or Active Directory software distribution.

Scenarios where TS RemoteApp can be used

TS RemoteApp is especially useful in scenarios such as the following:

• Remote users: Users often need to access programs from remote locations, such as while working from home or while traveling. If you want users to access RemoteApp programs over an Internet connection, you can allow access through a Virtual Private Network (VPN), or you can deploy TS RemoteApp together with Terminal Services Gateway (TS Gateway) to help secure remote access to the programs.
• Branch offices: In a branch office environment, there may be limited local IT support and limited network bandwidth. By using TS RemoteApp, you can centralize the management of your applications and improve remote program performance in limited bandwidth scenarios.
• Line-of-business (LOB) applications deployment: Companies often need to run consistent LOB applications on computers that are running different Windows versions and configurations. Instead of deploying the LOB applications to all the computers in the company, which can be expensive in terms of time and cost, you can install the LOB applications on a terminal server and make them available through TS RemoteApp.
• Application deployment: With TS RemoteApp you do not have to deploy and maintain different versions of the same program for individual computers. If employees need to use multiple versions of a program, you can install those versions on one or more terminal servers, and users can access them through TS RemoteApp.
• Roaming users: In a company with a flexible desk policy, users can work from different computers. In some cases, the computer where a user is working may not have the necessary programs installed locally. By using TS RemoteApp, you can install the programs on a terminal server and make them available to users as if those programs were installed locally.
  

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Windows 2008 File System

Windows 2008 File Server Terminology

File Server provides mechanism that helps in managing storage, enabling File Replication, managing Shared Folders, ensuring Fast File searching and enabling access for UNIX Client Computer.

• Distributed File Systems (DFS) – It provides tools and services for DFS namespace and DFS replication

• DFS Management – Console for creating and managing DFS Namespace and DFS Replication group

• DFS Namespace – It is a virtual view of shared folders located on different servers in an Organization. Users can navigate the namespace without needing to know the server name or shared folder. When a user views the namespace, the folders appear in a singe, virtual DFS namespace.

• Replication Group – it provides the mechanism for replicating data across the servers of DFS namespace. There are two types of Replication Group
o Multipurpose Replication Group – It configures replication between two or more servers for Publication, content sharing and other Scenarios
o Replication Group for Data Collection – it configures two way replication between servers for data collection, such as Branch Servers and HUB Servers. The HUB server can be used for backing up data collected from the Branch Servers

• Replication Group Topology Selection
o HUB and Spoke – This topology requires three or more servers in the replication group. In this topology, Spoke members are connected to one or more HUB Servers. The data originates for the HUB server and replicates to the spoke servers.
o Full Mesh – In this topology each members replicates with all the members of the replication group. This topology works well when there are Ten or fewer members in replication group.
o No Topology – This topology must be selected if you want to create custom topology. No replication takes place between members until the custom topology is created.

• File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) – It enables you to generate Storage reports, configure quotas and define File screening policies

• Services for Network File System – It provides UNIX client computers to access files on this server

• Windows Search Services – It permits fast searches on File Servers from clients that are compatible with Windows Search Service. Windows search service are intended for desktop search or small file server scenarios.

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Windows 2008 Server Core

Windows 2008 Server Core

• What is Windows 2008 Core
o It is stripped out version of Windows Server
o It only requires about 1 GB of Hard disk drive for initial installation
o It has local command line interface only
o It can be managed remotely using MMC
o It only supports 9 Server Roles

• Roles that can be installed on Core are
o Active Directory Directory Service AD DS
o Active Directory Lightweight Directory Service (AD LDS)
o Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Server service
o Domain Naming Server (DNS) service
o File Server
o Print Server
o Web Server (IIS)
o Streaming Media Services
o Hyper V

• Server core can be used as Web Server but not as an Application Server so it cannot have .Net Framework installed

• Command list for joining the server to the domain
o To get the name of the server, type ‘hostname’
o To get more information of the server type ‘systeminfo’
o To rename a computer, type ‘netdom renamecomputer /newdomain:’
o To join a Domain, type ‘netdom join %computername% /domain: /userD: /password:*’
Where computername is the name of the computer joining the domain.

• Commands for configuring DHCP Service on Server Core
o To install DHCP Server, type ‘start /w OCSetup DHCP Server Core’
o To configure DHCP to start automatically ‘SC config DHCPServer Start=Auto”
o To start DHCP Service, type ‘net start DHCPServer’

• To remotely administer Server core we need to setup Firewall on the local Server as well as we need to install RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools) on the Remote Server.

To configure local firewall type the below command.
‘netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group=”Remote Administration Group” new enable=yes’. The command will result with updating 3 rules in the local firewall policy

RSAT can be installed on the remote Server by adding ‘Remote Server Administration Tools’ features.

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