Windows Server 2008 : Deploying a Terminal Server (part 2) - Specifying NLA Settings

Specifying NLA Settings

Next, you have to specify whether the terminal server will accept connections only from clients that can perform NLA. When you select this requirement, shown in Figure 6, Remote Desktop connections will be blocked from computers with operating systems earlier than Windows Vista.

Figure 6. Setting NLA/client version requirements

Specifying Client Access License Types

The Add Roles Wizard then gives you the option to specify the TS CAL types you have purchased. Two types of CALs for Terminal Services are available:

• TS Per Device CALs TS Per Device CALs are permanent CALs assigned to any computer or device that connects to Terminal Services more than once. When the Per Device licensing mode is used and a client computer or device connects to a terminal server for the first time, the client computer or device is issued a temporary license by default. When a client computer or device connects to a terminal server for the second time, if the license server is activated and if enough TS Per Device CALs are available, the license server issues the client computer or device a permanent TS Per Device CAL.

• TS Per User CALs TS Per User CALs give users the right to access Terminal Services from any number of devices. TS Per User CALs are not assigned to specific users. If you opt for per user licensing, you simply need to make sure that you have purchased enough licenses for all the users in your organization.

In deciding which of these two CALs to purchase for your organization, consider several factors. First, consider the number of devices and users in your organization. In general, it’s financially preferable to choose per device CALs if you anticipate having fewer devices than users over the life of the terminal server and to choose per user licensing if you anticipate fewer users than devices. Another factor to consider is how often your users travel and connect from different computers. Per user licensing is often preferable when a small number of users tend to connect from many different sites, such as from customer networks.

If you have not yet decided which TS CALs to purchase, you can select the Configure Later option, as shown in Figure 7. You then have 120 days to purchase TS CALs and to install these licenses on a locally activated license server. After this grace period, Terminal Services stops functioning.

Figure 7. Specifying a licensing mode

Authorizing Users

The last configuration step is to choose the users and groups you want to allow access through Terminal Services. The Remote Desktop Users built-in local group automatically is granted the user right to connect to the local computer through Terminal Services, and the Add Roles Wizard here simply provides a fast way of adding accounts to this Remote Desktop Users group. By default, local administrators are already members of the Remote Desktop Users group, as shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8. Authorizing users for Terminal Services

After this last step, you simply need to confirm your selections and begin the Terminal Services installation, as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9. Confirming Terminal Services installation options

Staging the Terminal Server

Staging a server refers to the process of preparing it in advance of deployment. In the case of a terminal server, staging a computer involves installing and configuring all the components on the server that you want to make available to Terminal Services clients. At a minimum, this process includes installing appropriate server features and applications.

Installing Windows Server 2008 Built-in Features

Server Manager enables you not only to add server roles but also to install any of 36 Windows Server 2008 features. Features are smaller Windows components that enable specific functionality in the operating system. To prepare a terminal server for deployment, you need to know which of these Windows Server 2008 features you want to make available to clients connecting to the terminal server.

Because the only features available to remote users are those that you install on the terminal server, you need to review client needs and the functionality offered by each feature. For example, if you want Windows Media Player or Windows Aero to be made available to clients connecting to Terminal Services, you have to install the Desktop Experience feature on the computer running Terminal Services.

To install a feature, click Add Features in Server Manager to launch the Add Features Wizard. Figure 10 shows a partial list of the features made available by the Add Features Wizard.

Figure 10. The Add Features Wizard

A list follows of some example Windows Server 2008 features that you might need to make available to Terminal Services clients. Successful deployment of Terminal Services requires you to understand these features and to review them during the server staging process.

• Desktop Experience This feature installs Windows Media Player 11, desktop themes, and the photo gallery. It also makes the Windows Aero graphical features available, although these features must be enabled manually by each user.

• Quality Windows Audio Video Experience This feature enables high-quality performance for streaming media over IP networks.

• Network Load Balancing The NLB feature enables you to join a server to an NLB cluster or NLB server farm.

• Windows Server Backup Features You can install the Windows Server Backup Features to enable administrators to perform backups as part of remote maintenance of the computer running the terminal server.

• Windows PowerShell Windows PowerShell is a command-line environment and administrative scripting language built into Windows Server 2008. You can install the Windows PowerShell feature to enable remote administration of the computer running Terminal Services by using Windows PowerShell.

• Group Policy Management Group Policy Management is a console that facilitates administration of Group Policy. You can install this feature if you anticipate that administrators will use the server to manage Group Policy remotely.

• Windows System Resource Manager Windows System Resource Manager (WSRM) enables you to manage the resources of a server so that the workload is spread equitably among roles.

Installing Terminal Services Applications

Terminal Services is often used to deploy a single installation of an application to many users. Deploying an application in this way is frequently the best option for data-entry programs designed to run on a single server or for those tied to a locally installed database. However, you might also want to deploy an application through Terminal Services to reduce associated licensing fees, to offload processing from client computers, or simply to facilitate user productivity within a Terminal Services session.

After you have decided which applications to make available to remote users through Terminal Services, you need to install these applications in a way that makes them available to multiple users. To do this, you must install the applications while Terminal Services is in Install mode. You can install programs in Install mode by using an MSI installer program, by using the Install Application on Terminal Server program in Control Panel, or by using the Change user/install or Chgusr/install, “Configuring and Managing a Terminal Services Infrastructure.” command. For more information about using Install mode