Remote Desktop Services - How To Get Started?
-
Any suggestions on a good website or documentation to help me get started with Remote Desktop Services? Basically, I have an app that is installed on a single PC here but the person who uses it the most bounces from workstation to workstation often and can't always use that one PC. I want to move the app to RDS so she can access it anywhere. I have proper licenses for this.
Thanks...
-
So they only need to access this one app inside the RDS, right? They are still, in general, using the local PC as a local PC, I'm assuming.
-
@garak0410 I set this up 3 years ago at a client on Server 2008 R2. I just enabled the roles then stumbled my way through it all with Google.
Been having minor issues lately and I think I am going to attempt to spin up a new VM and redo it sometime, but likely will not be anytime soon.
-
Easiest thing to do would be to create an RDP shortcut to the machine and deploy it to the desktop of the user(s) who need it via GPO.
-
It is really easy to setup in Server 2012/R2. I followed the technet articles through most of it.
Here is the overview: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831447.aspx
-
@coliver said:
It is really easy to setup in Server 2012/R2. I followed the technet articles through most of it.
Here is the overview: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831447.aspx
yes...we have 2012R2...will check this out...thanks...
-
@thanksaj said:
So they only need to access this one app inside the RDS, right? They are still, in general, using the local PC as a local PC, I'm assuming.
Just this one app, yes. Currently, if they need the app, they have to go to that one PC, ask that one user to "Move" (like Jimmy Fallon's character...LOL), do their thing, and then leave. In addition, others or myself may occasionally need to use it as well...
-
@garak0410 Would it be easier/better to just deploy a Server 2012R2 VM with the app installed and give just that user remote access to it? Lock it down so that is the only app they can use on it? That user could then Remote Desktop into that server from any computer. You could setup a shortcut on their desktop for it too.
Would be a little bit easier then deploying an entire RDS system.
-
@garak0410 said:
@thanksaj said:
So they only need to access this one app inside the RDS, right? They are still, in general, using the local PC as a local PC, I'm assuming.
Just this one app, yes. Currently, if they need the app, they have to go to that one PC, ask that one user to "Move" (like Jimmy Fallon's character...LOL), do their thing, and then leave. In addition, others or myself may occasionally need to use it as well...
Moving that application to an RDS server would make sense then.
-
@coliver said:
@garak0410 Would it be easier/better to just deploy a Server 2012R2 VM with the app installed and give just that user remote access to it? Lock it down so that is the only app they can use on it? That user could then Remote Desktop into that server from any computer. You could setup a shortcut on their desktop for it too.
Would be a little bit easier then deploying an entire RDS system.
That is true.
-
Consider using a single PC and dedicating it for that app and just let that user RDP into that. Simpler and cheaper until you need to scale up.
-
@coliver said:
@garak0410 Would it be easier/better to just deploy a Server 2012R2 VM with the app installed and give just that user remote access to it? Lock it down so that is the only app they can use on it? That user could then Remote Desktop into that server from any computer. You could setup a shortcut on their desktop for it too.
Would be a little bit easier then deploying an entire RDS system.
Uhhhh - it's that RDS?
-
@scottalanmiller said:
Consider using a single PC and dedicating it for that app and just let that user RDP into that. Simpler and cheaper until you need to scale up.
Also, if you have Software Assurance on the desktops the user is using, you could install a Windows 7, 8, 8.1 VM and remote into it as well, no additional hardware to purchase/maintain.
-
@Dashrender said:
@coliver said:
@garak0410 Would it be easier/better to just deploy a Server 2012R2 VM with the app installed and give just that user remote access to it? Lock it down so that is the only app they can use on it? That user could then Remote Desktop into that server from any computer. You could setup a shortcut on their desktop for it too.
Would be a little bit easier then deploying an entire RDS system.
Uhhhh - it's that RDS?
Nope, he was considering using the RDS server role to deploy an app/desktop to that one user. However just deploying an RDP shortcut to that server would work too.
-
@coliver said:
@Dashrender said:
@coliver said:
@garak0410 Would it be easier/better to just deploy a Server 2012R2 VM with the app installed and give just that user remote access to it? Lock it down so that is the only app they can use on it? That user could then Remote Desktop into that server from any computer. You could setup a shortcut on their desktop for it too.
Would be a little bit easier then deploying an entire RDS system.
Uhhhh - it's that RDS?
Nope, he was considering using the RDS server role to deploy an app/desktop to that one user. However just deploying an RDP shortcut to that server would work too.
how would you propose giving them remote access to the new VM? Definitely not going to install vShpere Client on the user's computer - I'm guessing they would use RDC - which is more or less the same thing.
And you'd still probably have to fully license it as an RDS server since you're accessing it as an app server, not as an admin, so you can't get away with the admin licenses, I don't think.. could be wrong on this point. -
@Dashrender I do not believe that RDS is needed for a single user of any function. The server should act as a desktop here allowing for one user, at any time, to use the server as a desktop or desktop-like machine. It is because of this that RDS licensing is not needed when using Microsoft's Datacenter licensing in a one to one user ratio for VDI.
-
@Reid-Cooper said:
@Dashrender I do not believe that RDS is needed for a single user of any function. The server should act as a desktop here allowing for one user, at any time, to use the server as a desktop or desktop-like machine. It is because of this that RDS licensing is not needed when using Microsoft's Datacenter licensing in a one to one user ratio for VDI.
If it was a physical server I would completely understand - or if you gave the user access to the Vsphere client. But if the user is using any other method to access that server, they'd be accessing it through something covered by RDS licensing.
-
@Dashrender said:
If it was a physical server I would completely understand - or if you gave the user access to the Vsphere client. But if the user is using any other method to access that server, they'd be accessing it through something covered by RDS licensing.
I don't believe that that is true both because of other licensing reasons (console access, VNC, RDP, etc. are all covered in the same way and there is no means of accessing physical or virtual that bypasses that) and because even Microsoft themselves have stated that the mode I mentioned above bypasses the VDI licensing requirements because it is one to one.
All Windows systems, even desktops, have always allowed a single RDP session for a local user, of any type, to access the system remotely. That the system is physical or virtual, and what protocol is used have never been factors in that licensing. If they were, LogMeIn, VNC and others would be problematic as well.
RDS only applies to more than a single user at the same time. So it applies in a lot of cases, but not in a one to one.
-
@Reid-Cooper I thought I mentioned (maybe it was another thread) that I could be wrong on the first two sessions which are allowed for administration purposes.
Server versions don't have the same wording that workstation OSs do, i.e. Workstations installed in a VM must either be used locally (as in installed on your desktop and used only on that desktop) or else they require VDI or SA to access them. Servers do not have this requirement.
So, if you limit it to two users, perhaps you are allowed to use a Windows Server OS as a workstation and bypass the VDI requirements.
-
@Reid-Cooper said:
@Dashrender I do not believe that RDS is needed for a single user of any function. The server should act as a desktop here allowing for one user, at any time, to use the server as a desktop or desktop-like machine. It is because of this that RDS licensing is not needed when using Microsoft's Datacenter licensing in a one to one user ratio for VDI.
This was who I understood it as well. RDP was a one-to-one type of interface where RDS was many-to-one/many type of interface. Otherwise wouldn't you be breaking your licensing every time you remote in to do admin tasks on a non-windows server software?
