Differences between Terminal Services and Remote Desktop

1. What is remote desktop?

Remote Desktop is a service launched by Microsoft to facilitate the management and maintenance of servers by network administrators. Introduced from the windows 2000 server version, the network administrator uses the Remote Desktop Connection Program to connect to any computer on the network that has enabled the Remote Desktop control function, just like operating the computer on its own and running the program, maintain databases. In a sense, Remote Desktop is similar to early telnet. It can send program running and other work to the server, but only images and movements of the mouse and keyboard are returned to the remote control computer.

2. What is a terminal service?

The terminal service only exists in windows 2000 server and 2003, and does not exist in other systems. By default, Terminal Services are not installed in the operating system. You need to add or delete windows Components for installation. The terminal service is used to allow multiple users to operate the servers that enable the terminal service on the network. All operations and operations on the same server are placed on the server.

3. How to enable remote desktop:

The method to enable the Remote Desktop function is simple. We have introduced it many times before. In windows 2000 server and 2003, just right-click "my computer" on the desktop and select "properties". In the displayed Property settings window, find the "remote" tag, then, check the Remote Desktop before "allow users to remotely connect to this computer. 1) after this function is enabled, other computers in the network can control and access the server through "program-> accessories-> communication-> Remote Desktop Connection.

Figure 1

4. How to enable the terminal service:

As mentioned above, Terminal Services are not installed in the system by default, so we need to install them manually. This article takes WINDOWS 2003 as an example.

Step 1: Choose Start> Control Panel> Add/delete programs on the taskbar to install the terminal service. 2)

Figure 2 click to view the large image

Step 2: add or delete windows components on the left of the Add/delete programs window. Find the terminal server and Terminal Server authorization items in the component. Before installation, the system will give a configuration warning that "the Enhanced Security Configuration of IE will greatly limit the users on the terminal server, whether to restore the low security configuration. We can select "yes. By default, the security level of the windows 2003 browser is too high, which may restrict the terminal service user permissions. 3)

Figure 3 click to view the large image

Step 3: Select Terminal Server and Terminal Server authorization, and then click "Next" to install it. 4)

Figure 4 click to view the large image

Step 4: Next we will introduce the Terminal Server Installation Program, which is very important. The content is as follows -- this option installs the terminal server, which can be configured to allow multiple users to run the program simultaneously. By default, only the local administrator group can connect to the terminal server. You need to add a user account that is not administrator privilege to the local Remote Desktop user group to connect to this terminal server. If you only need to use the managed Remote Desktop, do not install the terminal server. The Remote Desktop used for management has been used by default. Authorization: to continue using the terminal server after the grace period of 120 days from today, you must install a server to run the terminal server authorization. 5)

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Step 5: Next, the instructor selects the terminal server running mode. There are two security modes available to us: "full security mode" and "loose security mode ". The former can provide the most secure environment for the terminal server, with the best security, but it is due to more restrictions, and some applications designed for the previous operating platform may not run properly. If you use this security mode for terminal server operations, you can change it to "loose security mode" if it is too restrictive ". Compared with the complete security mode, the loose security mode has a lower security level, but fewer restrictions are imposed. Users can access key registries and system file locations, this security mode is used to run applications designed for earlier versions. The specific security mode needs to be selected based on actual work needs. 6)

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Step 6: Set up the terminal server Installer. There are three licensing methods available to us. One is to use the license server. Generally, the company does not have a dedicated license server. The second is to use the automatic search license server. This option will automatically search for license servers in the network. This option is suitable for network applications with non-fixed license servers. The last one is "I will designate a license server within 120 days". This is our most common choice, that is, to use terminal service 120 first, and then purchase a license from Microsoft, create a license server for authorization purposes. 7)

Figure 7

Step 7: select the server authorization mode. These options have no specific meaning before you buy an authorization license from Microsoft. The "per device authorization mode" is an authorization for a device, terminal Services can only be used on devices with an authorized license. "Per-user authorization mode" is used to purchase licenses for users, and how many user accounts are there) How many user licenses are required to use Terminal Services? CAL ). 8)

Figure 8

Step 8: Set the location of the database for installing the license server. We can keep the default windows \ system32 \ lserver. Of course, you can also use the "Browse" button to switch to another directory. 9)

Figure 9

Step 9: Install terminal service components. 10)

Figure 10

Step 10: copy the corresponding file to the local hard disk to complete the installation of windows Components. 11)

Figure 11

Step 2: After restarting, you can view Terminal Service Manager, terminal service configuration, Terminal Server authorization, and other programs on the desktop "start-> Management Tools. This indicates that the terminal service component is successfully installed. 12)

Figure 12 click to view the large image

V. Differences and connection between remote desktop and Terminal Services:

First, let's take a look at the similarities. They are all components of the windows system, all developed by Microsoft. Using these two components, you can control the server at the other end of the network. Operating the server and running the program is as simple as manipulating your local computer, and the speed is also very fast. However, the difference between the two components is also very obvious --

1) The Remote Terminal Service allows multiple clients to log on to the server at the same time. Both device authorization and user authorization require the CAL Client Access authorization certificate. This certificate must be purchased from Microsoft; remote Desktop Management only provides the operator and administrator a graphical remote access to the server management interface, which is the same as Remote Terminal Services). Remote Desktop does not require a CAL license.

2) Remote Desktop is completely free of charge, and terminal services only have a 120-day validity period. If the free validity period is exceeded, You need to purchase a license.

3) The Remote Desktop allows up to two administrators to log on to the process, and the terminal service is not limited. As long as you have purchased enough licenses and want to have multiple users log on to a server at the same time, you can.

4) Remote Desktop can only allow users with administrator permissions to log on, but terminal services do not have this restriction. Users with any permissions can remotely control the server through terminal services, however, the logon permission is the same as your own permission.

Conclusion: After understanding the methods and differences for enabling remote desktop and terminal services, we need to choose based on the company's actual needs. Some readers may say that since Remote Desktop is free and terminal services need to purchase a license, Will Remote Desktop be used up? In fact, we have already introduced the difference in the fourth point. Remote Desktop can only be used by users with administrator permissions. Accounts with General permissions cannot log on. There is no such restriction for terminal access, and Remote Desktop allows only two users to log on to the operating server at the same time. These two differences determine that terminal services must be used when the server needs to be managed by more than two persons at the same time and users who require non-administrator permissions.