Installing Remote Desktop Session Host (RDS Pt1)

The next four posts will demonstrate how to setup remote desktop services so that clients can run specific remote applications using a web browser. This will involve running the applications on a Remote Desktop Session Host (RDSH) server (once called a Terminal server). A Remote Desktop Connection Broker (RDCB) will be used to connect the RDSH with the Remote Desktop Web Application server (RDWA). The use of the RDCB will be useful later when we try clustering servers. For this exercise we are not concerned with clustering. You will need 4 servers and a Windows 7 client, all in a single AD domain.

To install the RD Session Host role service

1. Log on to a member server as domain\Administrator.
   
2. Open Server Manager. To open Server Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.
   
3. Under Roles Summary, click Add Roles.
   
4. On the Before You Begin page of the Add Roles Wizard, click Next.
   
5. On the Select Server Roles page, select the Remote Desktop Services check box, and then click Next.
   
6. On the Remote Desktop Services page, click Next.
   
7. On the Select Role Services page, select the Remote Desktop Session Host check box, and then click Next.
   
8. On the Uninstall and Reinstall Applications for Compatibility page, click Next.
   
9. On the Specify Authentication Method for Remote Desktop Session Host page, click Require Network Level Authentication, and then click Next.
   

   Note
   If client computers that are running Windows® XP will use this RD Session Host server, select Do not require Network Level Authentication.

   
   
10. On the Specify Licensing Mode page, select Configure later, and then click Next.
    

    Note
    For the purposes of this class, a Remote Desktop licensing mode is not configured. For use in a production environment, you must configure a Remote Desktop licensing mode.

    
    
11. On the Select User Groups Allowed Access To This Remote Desktop Session Host Server page, click Next.
    
12. On the Configure Client Experience page, click Next.
    
13. On the Confirm Installation Selections page, verify that the RD Session Host role service will be installed, and then click Install.
    
14. On the Installation Results page, you are prompted to restart the server to finish the installation process. Click Close, and then click Yes to restart the server.
    
15. After the server restarts and you log on to the computer as Domain\Administrator, the remaining steps of the installation finish. When the Installation Results page appears, confirm that installation of the RD Session Host role service succeeded, and then click Close to close the RD Session Host configuration window. Also, close Server Manager.

Add Domain Users to the Remote Desktop Users group

1. Log on to the RDSH server as Domain\Administrator.
   
2. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Computer Management.
   
3. Expand Local Users and Groups, and then click Groups.
   
4. Right-click Remote Desktop Users, and then click Add to Group.
   
5. In the Remote Desktop Users dialog box, click Add.
   
6. In the Select Users, Computers, Service Accounts, or Groups dialog box, in the Enter the object names to select box, type Domain Users and then click OK.
   
7. Click OK to close the Remote Desktop Users dialog box.