Windows Server 2008 : Configure a Load-Balanced Farm with TS Session Broker

You installed the TS Session Broker role service earlier. This server will be the one that is used to track user sessions within the load-balanced farm. However, there are still a few steps needed to create a load-balanced environment. To begin with, session load balancing is supported only on terminal servers that are running Windows Server 2008, so all members of this group must be running Windows Server 2008. Follow these steps to complete the configuration:

Configure Terminal Services

With all the installation and configuration you have done so far, you feel pretty well set for Terminal Services. However, this section could actually be accurately called “Terminal Services Client Configuration.” It differs from the initial setup you have done so far in that this management snap-in concentrates on the configuration of user settings. To configure Terminal Services, follow these steps:

1.

In the Terminal Services management snap-in, expand the Terminal Services Configuration.

2.

An RDP-Tcp connection was created upon installation (see Figure 1). From the Actions pane, create a new connection: Highlight the current RDP-Tcp connection and click twice to bring up the properties page, which has eight tabs for configuration. Figure 1. The RDP-Tcp connection properties page. General: This tab shows the connection type (RDP-TCP) and transport method (tcp).You can include a comment for the connection. In the Security section, you can choose the security layer and encryption level, you can choose to allow only connections from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication, and you can select an SSL certificate. Log On Settings: In this tab, you choose how clients log on. You can specify that they can use client-provided information or a fixed set of credentials (not recommended). You can also choose to always prompt for a password. Sessions: You use this tab to set Terminal Services timeout and reconnection settings for the client. If you choose nothing, the server defaults to the user’s Active Directory session settings. You can override the user settings for disconnected and active sessions. You can also override user settings for how Terminal Services reacts when a session limit is reached or a connection is broken. Environment: You can allow or disallow an initial program to be launched when a user logs on. You can also choose to start a particular program when the user logs on. Remote Control: This tab features settings for remotely viewing or controlling user sessions. You can use remote control with default user settings (taken from Active Directory), disallow remote control, or use custom settings such as requiring user permission and the level of remote control allowed (view or interact). Client Settings: These settings can limit the maximum color depth. These setting override the Remote Desktop client settings for color depth. You can also choose to disable redirection of individual devices for this connection. Network Adapter: You can choose the network adapters to use for connection to this terminal server. You can choose all adapters configured with this protocol or select particular adapters to use. You can also choose to allow unlimited connection or to set connection limits. Security: This tab is the security principals that have permissions to this terminal server. You can view, add, and remove users or groups who have access and modify permissions.

Below the connections section are the terminal server settings, which directly affect the performance of the terminal server. They are broken down into three sections. You can highlight any item under Edit Settings and double-click any setting to bring up the properties page. There are three tabs here:

• General: For best results, you should leave all three boxes checked:

  • Delete Temporary Folders upon Exit

  • Use Temporary Folders per Session

  • Restrict Each User to a Single Session

  These are the user logon mode settings:

  • Allow All Connections

  • Allow Reconnections but Prevent New Logons

  • Allow Reconnections but Prevent New Logons Until the Server Is Restarted

• Licensing: Specify the licensing mode:

  • Not Yet Configured

  • Per Device

  • Per User

  And the licensing discovery mode:

  • Automatically discover a licensing server

  • Use the specified licensing servers

  You can add multiple licensing servers, separated by commas, and even check license server names. If licensing servers are specified, the terminal server attempts to locate them first. If they are unreachable, it uses automatic discovery.

• TS Session Broker: In this tab, you add connections to a TS Session Broker farm by configuring the following:

  • Join a Farm in TS Session Broker. (This must be checked to activate the other fields.)

  • Insert the TS Session Broker name or IP address in this dialog box.

  • Insert the farm name for the TS Session Broker.

  • Click this box to participate in Session Broker load balancing.

  • Choose the relative weight of this server.

  • Click this next box to use IP address redirection (recommended).

Finally, you can select the IP addresses to be used for reconnection. Clients running Remote Desktop 5.2 or earlier will only use the first IP address in this list for reconnection.