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Only a demo a view options of 2012 RDS

Remote Desktop Roles in server 2012 R2

• Remote Desktop Session Host – Hosts session
• Remote Desktop Connection Broker – Brokers the sessions
• Remote Desktop Web access – Web access

Deployment Options

• Quick Start – Stand alone server (deploys all roles to one server )
• Standard install – Multiple servers (deploys roles over multiple servers)

Quick Start – Stand alone server

• Installing session based desktop

Server 2012 forces you to create a farm with all three roles installed (session host, connection broker and web access).

•  Installing Remote Desktop

Tip : Avoid adding the role using role services – support by Powershell only. Use the remote desktop services wizard for installation.

Use session-based desktop, or Virtual machine based desktop deployment (hyper-v and client).

Session based deployment

• On the RDS server

1. On the Dashboard – Add roles and features
2. Next
3. Select Remote desktop services installation (Don’t use role based)
4. Click next
5. Click quick start for stand alone (alternative select standard)
6. Select session based deployment
7. Select current server – You must be logged in as a domain administrator
8. Select restart automatically
9. Click deploy
10. Login to finish the deployment ( if the deployment fails, redo the install process and the install will complete)
11. On the Dashboard, scroll to the right.
12. Select quick session collection (remote app programs will appear hear)

Standard install – Multiple servers deployed

• Installing session based desktop

Standard will deploys roles over multiple servers

For this demo setup 3 RDS servers required

1. RD Session Host
2. RD Web Access
3. RD Connection Broker

Note – Collections will need to be created manually and RemoteApps published manually

Installing Remote Desktop

Tip : Avoid adding the role using role services – supported by Powershell only.
Use the remote desktop services wizard for installation.

Use Session-based desktop 

• RDS server (Connection Broker)

1. On the Dashboard – Select all servers
2. Right click all servers and select add servers (add the other two servers)
3. Note : All servers required will now be visible
4. On the Dashboard – Add roles and features
5. Next
6. Select Remote desktop services installation (Don’t use role based)
7. Click Standard
8. Select session based deployment
9. Select current server – Logged on as administrator of the domain
10. Select from the list which server will be the session broker ( it is possible to add the web access to this server if required)
11. Next
12. Select from the list which server will be the web access server
13. Next
14. Select from the list which server will be the session host server
15. Select restart automatically and click deploy
16. Login to finish the deployment ( if the deployment fails, redo the install process and the install will complete)
17. close

 

Install complete, Create a Collection

1. On the Dashboard, Remote desktop services, scroll to the right.

1. Note : Roles will now be spread across the three servers.

1. Scroll right select Tasks,
2. Create session collection
3. Specify a name
4. Select session host
5. Specify ‘domain users;
6. Option for user profile disk, tick
7. Set limit of 1GB on user profile settings
8. Select a share path for available
9. Create (Note : RDS GPOs are need to be removed)
10. Close

 

 

 

Publish Apps

1. Session Broker Dash board
2. Select collection
3. Tasks
4. Publish remote app
5. Select app from available list
6. Click publish 

RD Licensing

• Install Licensing server on the Session broker

• Each server has two CALS for administrators
• License is required with in 120days
• Activate server
• Purchase CALs to match licensing mode
• Per device CAL or User CAL.
• For this demo install require “Per User CALL”– Note this accepts any connections without limits

 

1. On the dash board
2. Select Overview
3. RD Licensing
4. Select session broker
5. Click Add
6. Close

Licensing Activation

 

1. Select tools
2. Terminal Services
3. Remote Desktop licensing manager
4. Activate server
5. Install licenses

 

Session Collection Properties

User Groups, Session Settings, Tasks edit properties

• Sessions

When sessions are connected.

1. Disconnect – set to end disconnected session after 8hrs
2. Connection time limit – Never
3. Idle session set to 2hrs

Security

• RDP Encryption
• SSL (TLS1.0) – requires certificates
• Negotiate – Select this option (The most secure layer that is supported by the client will be used)

Session Level of encryption options

• Low 56-bit encryption client to server, server to client is not

• Client compatible – Default level. Encrypts traffic to the maximum strength support by the client. Client and server is encrypted

• High, 128-bit encryption. Client need to support this level of encryption or they will not connect.

 

• FIPS Compatible – FIPS encryption

1. Select session collection properties
2. Select Security tab
3. Security Layer Set negotiate
4. Set High session level
5. Untick allow connections only from computers with network level authentication (as we still have XP clients)

 

• Load Balancing

1. Require more than remote desktop session host.
2. Edit the properties of the collection
3. Add the additional Session host to the collection

 

• Client Setting

1. Configure client Settings
2. Specify redirection
3. Untick Audio, smart cards, allow client printer redirection
4. Tick clipboard

• User Profiles Disk

• Enable User Profile disk.
• Each user will get a dedicated single virtual disk. (.vhdx created when a user logs)
• .vhdx file is mounted underneath c:\Profile Disk\ GUID is the name of the users file name
• .vhdx can mounted manually

 

• Profile Disk Share

1. Create a share location for profile disk
2. Share name “Profile Disks”
3. Right click , properties, select advanced sharing
4. Set share permissions to All to Full
5. NTFS permissions User, set to modify 
6. See Share details under prerequisites

• User Profile Disk

1. Collection properties
2. Select user profile disk
3. Tick enable user profile disk
4. Set location to the share name
   1. Set size limits
   2. Store only the following in the profile
   3. (other options available to set) 

• Client RDS access

Client RDP

1. Save RDP (Save a RDP client on all clients to point to the connection broker)
2. Edit the current RDP collection by opening with Notepad
3. Edit :    Use redirection server name:1:0
4. Change to :      Use redirection server name:1:1
5. Add lines at the bottom      :  (this is to use the session broker as a load balancer)
   1. loadbalanceinfo:s:tsv://MS Terminal Services Plugin.1.collection name

Login in to a Windows 7 client with the RDS icon configured 

• Web Access

RDP Settings – default settings

Login in to a Windows 7 client with the RDS icon configured

 https://domainame/RDWeb/