As you may aware since Windows Server 2008, Microsoft has released a kind of tool that allows you to leverage native remote desktop protocol to be accessed as an either remote application or virtual desktop infrastructure which also known as VDI.

These options have many features and been deployed on several of my small and medium business customer where they had a budgeted or low cost for implementing such solution. There are many enterprise solution, such as Citrix with their proprietary protocol and best compression ever or 2X with their low cost solution while maintaining some sets of outstanding feature.

But again, in the end customer is customer. The one who will decided whatever the solution you provided 😉

In this section, I’m gonna explaining something about above mentioned tool from Microsoft (MSFT). It is called Remote Desktop Services (RDS).

If you already have Windows license and wanted to leverage feature to overcome the situation with virtual application and or even virtual desktop delivery, then your decision is obviously right by using Windows Server. Unless as  mentioned before you might better to leave this article.

Ok, first thing first, all you might need to do is to understand what the difference between of each role in RDS. This will help you to later to proceed with advance configuration. Don’t skip this unless you already have had experience before. Don’t worry i will explain as simple as possible.

  1. RD Web: Mandatory role for web access purposes as you will use this for homepage before accessing RDS application. Usually combined with RD Broker.
  2. RD Broker: Really like ‘broker’ who will maintain and choose best the connection between RD session hosts. This also can be used for load balancing purposes.
  3. RD Session Host: Where you put all the back end applications. You may have multiple servers with multiple applications across.
  4. RD Licensing: To centralize and manage your RD licensing into specific server, please bear in mind RD license is totally different against CAL
  5. RD Gateway: Gateway server for remote desktop. This usually implemented on DMZ as every incoming connection is from public access.

That’s it. Pretty simple explanation, isn’t it?

I typically love to explaining something complicated with simple word just for my reader’s easiness.