Analyzing Windows Server 2008 R2 Terminal Services

With the release of Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft's VDI will include several component integrations that you are familiar with. The most compelling components of these components are Hyper-V and Terminal Services, or remote Desktop services (RDS), which is now well known. In this article, TechTarget China's special virtualization expert Greg Shields will explain how Terminal Services components are integrated in Windows Server 2008 R2, and how to orchestrate and manage Microsoft VDI deployments.

Hyper-V and RDS: Two key components of the host desktop

In Windows Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V provides a virtualized platform for host desktops. Therefore, the first step in any Microsoft VDI deployment is to decide-and then deploy the number of Hyper-V servers you need to support virtual machines.

The second necessary component is Microsoft's Remote Desktop Services (RDS). This renamed RDS extends terminal Services by supporting connections to the traditional demo virtualization server, and also supports host desktops.

RDS is accomplished by increasing the previously called Terminal Services Session broker (or TS session broker). In the RTM version of Windows Server 2008, TS session Broker points the user to the correct Terminal Services with similar server configuration. Using R2,rds Session Broker can also point users to the assigned Hyper-V virtual machines. The RDS session Broker plays a key role in the environment.

Remote Desktop gateway and remote Desktop Web Access

The Windows Server 2008 R2 contains additional Terminal Services features. Remote Desktop gateway and Remote Desktop Web Access are now renamed RD Gateway and RD Web Access respectively. The combination of these two services provides a web-based mechanism to show users the list of assigned applications and host desktops. In the past, adding RD Gateway in the environment enables you to transfer applications and desktops across the web via an encrypted connection.

For end users, the experience of the RTM version of Windows Server 2008 has not changed. To connect applications, users log on to an RD WEB Access server and then select Apply. The host desktop is displayed as a clickable icon on the interface, providing a seamless connection mechanism for the user. The RD Web access server changes shape as it adds new functionality. The most obvious of these changes is the Silverlight based user interface. In addition, it supports a greater number of extensibility points.

Prepare virtual machines for Microsoft VDI deployment

In the datacenter, changes are made when the user is prepared for the virtual machine. From a management standpoint, there are two ways to configure a virtual machine for a user. The first is done directly through an assignment called a private virtual desktop. With this mechanism, an administrator can create a virtual machine on a Hyper-V host. The virtual machine can then be distributed directly to the user via the RemoteApp and Desktop (RAD) Connection Manager console. Once a virtual machine is created, users can see their own private desktops in connections in rd WEB access.

A one-to-one mapping between users and desktops is useful if you plan to have users and desktops work together for a long time. However, creating a dedicated desktop for a user does not meet Microsoft's goal of providing legacy application support. So Microsoft separates the users from one desktop and creates the available virtual machines in the resource pool instead. This creates a merged virtual desktop that provides a place for users to interact, without having to manage so many desktops.

Merged virtual desktops make management easier because all virtual machines can be taken offline when updates are needed. The merged virtual desktops are designed to implement mutual cloning and create a set of virtual machines using common guidelines. If these clones need to be updated after creation, they can be modified individually by configuring control mechanisms such as group Policy, ConfigMgr, and so on. Or because the virtual machines in the resource pool are deliberately stateless, you can discard the clones. Doing so can make changes to the source virtual machine and recreate the desired clones. For large environments, Microsoft recommends application virtualization (or App-V) as a mechanism.

In both cases, user data can be extracted from a single virtual machine by using the Remote Desktop Services roaming document. These roaming data are similar to the traditional Terminal services roaming data, and Terminal services has been in use for many years.