Thursday, May 15, 2008

Killer New Features in Windows 2008 Terminal Server. Citrix Will Cry.


 

T erminal Services (TS) for Windows Server 2008 allows a minimal computer called

a thin client or a terminal to connect to a Windows server, display a Windows

desktop, and use Windows remotely, with Windows and its applications running

on the server. The thin client (called simply "client" in much of this chapter) can run

Windows XP, Server 2003, Vista, or Server 2008, or, with third-party software, a number

of other operating systems (OSs). It can even access the server over the Internet. Only

the user interface runs on the client, which returns keystrokes and mouse clicks to the

server. The client computer can have a slower processor, a modest amount of memory,

and a small hard disk or even no hard disk. To the application running on the server, the

user appears to be on that machine, and to clients, the application appears to be running

on their machines, given a reasonable network speed. Multiple terminal sessions can be

running on the server, but each client sees only its own session. A good use of thin clients

with TS is one where the client is used for a single purpose, such as order entry, ticketing,

or inventory tracking, where it is beneficial for the application and its related database

to be on a server.

TS has two distinct modes that it handles:


 


Applications Server Mode, which allows a client computer to display a Windows

desktop and run applications remotely from a server


Remote Administration Mode, which provides the means to remotely

administer a computer running Windows Server 2008 including Internet

Information Services (IIS)

TS is an integral part of Windows Server 2008, as it was in Windows Server 2003,

and provides a powerful, full-capability set of terminal services. Third-party companies,

though, such as Citrix, provide advanced applications in the TS arena that run on

Windows 2003 and 2008 servers. You can reach Citrix at http://www.citrix.com.

TS works with the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), common

to Windows Server 2008 networking and the Internet, and uses the Remote Desktop

Protocol (RDP). RDP is a broad protocol facilitating the simultaneous transmission

of a wide range of data, including user, application, licensing, and encryption information.

RDP also has the capability to transmit audio and video information.

The two modes are accomplished in Windows Server 2008 using nine separate components

of


 


TS Manager, which provides the administrative functions for TS and Terminal

Server including viewing and controlling user sessions and processes.

TS Configuration, which allows you to determine the TS connections that are

on the computer and their properties, as well as the server settings.


Terminal Server, which is a TS role service that provides the central core of TS

that allows multitasking on a server.


TS RemoteApp, which is an element of Terminal Server that provides remote

access to standard Windows programs.


TS Web Access, which is installed as a TS role service, but is really an

Internet Information Services (IIS) web application that provides access to TS

RemoteApp by use of a web browser.


TS Licensing, which is a TS role service that provides for client licensing of

Windows TS.


TS Gateway, which is a TS role service that provides secure, encrypted access

to resources on a LAN connected to the Terminal Server by remote users.


TS Session Broker, which is a TS role service that provides load balancing

among several terminal servers (a "farm") and reconnects a TS client to an

existing session in that farm.


Remote Desktop Connection 6.0, which is separate client software that is

preinstalled on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista Business and Ultimate,

and can be downloaded for Windows Server 2003 SP1 or SP2 and Windows XP

Professional SP2, that allows the client to connect to and use TS. Remote Desktop

Connection 6.0 is required to use Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services,

Terminal Server, TS RemoteApp, TS Web Access, and TS Gateway.

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Windows 2008 Resources and Development

Windows 2008 Resources and Development
Windows 2008