Windows Server 2008 R2 delta changes : Remote Desktop Services (Formerly Known as Terminal Services) Changes

Along with a new name, Microsoft has also added several new features to further enhance Remote Desktop Services. In this section, we will explore some of the feature changes to the various components of Remote Desktop Services.

Remote Desktop Session Host

The Remote Desktop Session Host role includes several new features to provide a better administrative experience as well as increased security for Remote Desktop Services deployments. Changes to Remote Desktop Session Host include:

• Client Experience Configuration —You can now centrally manage Remote Desktop audio/video redirection and Windows Aero interface options for Remote Desktop clients. These client experience features can be configured when adding the Remote Desktop Session host role.

• Roaming User Profile Cache Management —Larger Remote Desktop Services deployments may have hundreds or even thousands of users logging into Remote Desktop Servers. It is common to see cached copies of profiles using a lot of storage space on Remote Desktop Servers. To help control the disk space usage of cached profiles, a GPO can be applied to Remote Desktop Servers placing a quota on the amount of disk space that can be used by cached profiles. If the quota is reached, the server will delete the profiles of users with the oldest last logon until the profile cache falls below the quota.

• Remote Desktop IP Virtualization —Remote Desktop IP Virtualization allows administrators to create a pool of IP addresses allowing each remote desktop session to have a unique IP address. This feature is useful for applications that may require each instance to have a unique IP or when troubleshooting and you need to track the IP of a particular session on a remote desktop server.

• Enhanced CPU Scheduling —Remote Desktop Services now includes a processor scheduling feature known as Fair Share Scheduling. This feature distributes CPU resources evenly across each Remote Desktop Session ensuring that one user session does not impact the performance of another user session. This scheduling is done automatically by the remote desktop server and does not require configuration.

Remote Desktop Virtualization Host

The Remote Desktop Virtualization Host is a new role included with Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services and provides a fully featured Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution for Windows. Remote Desktop Virtualization Host services allow administrators to set up pools of Hyper-V VMs that can be logged onto by users. Users can be assigned unique machines or assigned the next available machine in the pool. This gives users fully featured desktop computers accessible via a remote connection.

RemoteApp and desktop connection

Windows Server 2008 R2 further extends the features of RemoteApp to VDI-based virtual desktops. Windows Server 2008 R1 allows administrators to use RemoteApp to make access to Terminal Services-based applications seamless to end users. Users can launch an application shortcut from their local computer or terminal, and that application appears to launch locally instead of displaying a remote desktop session to the terminal server.

Windows Server 2008 R2, in conjunction with Windows 7, publishes available RemoteApp applications and Desktop Virtualization Host-based VMs to the Start Menu of Windows 7 clients. This allows end users to easily access applications and virtual desktops they have access to by simply opening them from the Start Menu on their local computer.

Remote Desktop Connection Broker

The Remote Desktop Connection Broker in Windows Server 2008 R2 now extends the broker capabilities to virtual desktops in a Remote Desktop Virtualization Host. As with previous versions of the sessions broker, the Remote Desktop Connection Broker provides load balancing and ensures that users reconnect to existing sessions after a disconnect. The Remote Desktop Connection Broker connects users to the new RemoteApp and Desktop Connection feature.

Remote Desktop Gateway

The Remote Desktop Gateway feature includes several new enhancements over the previous Terminal Services Gateway. The new Remote Desktop Gateway includes the following new features:

• Gateway level idle and session timeouts

• Logon and system messages

• Pluggable authentication

• Network Access Protection (NAP) remediation

Gateway level idle and session timeouts

This feature allows administrators to configure idle and session timeouts on the gateway itself. By setting these timeouts, administrators can ensure that unused sessions are disconnected and active users are forced to periodically reconnect.

Logon and system messages

Administrators can now configure special message windows to be displayed to users when connecting to a Remote Desktop Services Gateway. System messages can be used to provide active users with important notifications such as information regarding system outages. The Logon message can be used to provide users with important notifications every time they logon. These can be useful to advertise new applications or services available via the gateway.

Pluggable authentication

Pluggable authentication allows developers to write custom authentication modules for Remote Desktop Gateways. This can be used to further enhance Remote Desktop Gateway services by providing such features as Two-Token authentication.

Network Access Protection Remediation

NAP Remediation features allow computers connecting via a Remote Desktop Gateway remediate any noncompliant security settings prior to connecting to the network. This ensures that even computers connecting via Remote Desktop Gateways comply with corporate NAP policies.

Remote Desktop Web Access

Remote Desktop Web Access was first introduced in Windows Server 2008 R1 as Terminal Server Web Access providing users with a portal to view and connect to available RemoteApp-based applications within a Web browser. The new Remote Desktop Web Access feature includes the following enhancements over Terminal Service Web Access:

• Security trimmed RemoteApp filtering

• Forms-based authentication (FBA)

• Public and private computer options

• Single sign-on

Security trimmed RemoteApp filtering

Windows Server 2008 R1 Terminal Services Web Access displays any RemoteApp Web applications available on the system to all end users. This allows users to see RemoteApps even if they do not have access to them. Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Web Access now security trims the interface so that users only see RemoteApp shortcuts they have access to.

Forms-based authentication

Remote Desktop Web access now offers the ability to provide FBA. This provides a more user-friendly logon page that users may be used to from other applications such as Outlook Web Access (OWA) in Microsoft Exchange.

Public and private computer options

Users can now specify what type of computer they are connecting from when logging into Remote Desktop Web Access. This provides more strict security settings when logging in from a public computer such as a kiosk.

Single sign-on

When using Terminal Server Web Access in Windows Server 2008 R1, users were prompted twice to logon to RemoteApps via the Web interface. They would be prompted once to access the Web access server and a second time when launching the application. Remote Desktop Web Access provides single sign-on so that users only need to initially logon to the Web access site. Credentials are then passed to the RemoteApp automatically.

Remote Desktop client experience

Several new features have been added to further enhance the Remote Desktop experience for Windows 7 client computers. Windows 7 clients connecting to a Windows Server 2008 R2 server gain these additional features:

• Multiple Monitor Support —Remote Desktop Services now support multiple monitors for Windows 7 clients. This allows RemoteApps to take advantage of multiple monitors in the same manner as if they were running as applications on the local computer.

• A/V Playback —Remote Desktop Services now redirects Windows Media Player-based A/V content to the client computer where it is played locally using that client computer’s memory and CPU to view the content locally.

• Windows 7 Aero —Remote Desktop Sessions support Windows 7 Aero features when the connecting client is a Windows 7 computer.

Remote Desktop Services PowerShell module and Best Practices Analyzer

Remote Desktop Services now comes with more management features and options, including a PowerShell module and BPA. Using PowerShell, administrators can perform most Remote Desktop Services administration via a PowerShell command prompt.

The BPA helps administrators verify whether their Remote Desktop Services configuration is following best practices and that there are no misconfigurations that could negatively impact the deployment.