More Terminal Services for more

For systems managers, one of our favorite tools in Windows 2000 has always been Terminal Services and its Remote Desktop extension. Terminal Services grants us the ability to run multiple sessions on a single console, based on Windows 2000’s multi-user kernel.

With Windows 2003, Microsoft has made significant improvements to Terminal Services, not the least of which is the Remote Desktop Protocol’s bump to a new version. RDP’s 5.2 iteration adds a number of excellent new features, including almost complete automatic redirection of local and remote resources, including local and network drives, local and network printers, and even audio, time zones, and desktop shortcuts. I really like its ability to support dynamic bandwidth allocation and its support for both high (128-bit) and low (40-bit) session encryption.

You still can’t take control of a remote user’s session as you can with some commercially available systems management packages, but for out-of-the-box functionality, this really is a powerful toolkit. And Windows 2003 adds even more, notably a new Remote Desktop Users group. That means that unlike previous versions, not everyone with login rights to a particular machine will immediately have rights to use RDP with that machine. A handy security mechanism for systems administrators built right in.

Not enough for you? Wait, there’s more. Windows Server 2003 now also has a WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) Provider for Terminal Services, which means you can now query Terminal Services via scripting. And there’s a very useful new feature called Session Directory which tracks all existing Terminal Services sessions in existence. If one of them is disconnected, Session Directory not only helps the reconnection, but also ensures that it occurs on the same server as the original session. Maybe not so useful in a small to midsize network, but a real boon in installations large enough to require Windows 2003 Enterprise or Data Center versions.

But because we’re talking about Microsoft, you can’t get any good news without the same old dose of bad news: money. That’s right, where Terminal Services used to be essentially free, it’s now going to require some extra dollars up front. This news isn’t precisely new, but the release of Windows 2003 has added a few new specifics.

For one, while Terminal Services’ use will incur additional costs, Redmond has at least allowed some specification here in that you can limit the number of client licenses required by adding those using them to a new group called Terminals Services Licensing, which exists on a Terminal Services Licensing server. That’s a good thing, but Redmond still hasn’t done away with the bad. For those looking for an all-inclusive desktop management process out of the box, that box is going to cost.

All newly purchased Windows client accesses will require a separate Terminal Services client access license in order to connect to a 2003 Terminal Server. Microsoft is quick to point out that if you opted for Software Assurance, this added cost does not apply. But let’s be honest: if you opted for Software Assurance, you’ve paid for it already. Windows 2003 Server contains many new features I like, but the more Redmond keeps trying to squeeze out of me for them, the more I’m likely to delay upgrading for as long as possible.