Improved Terminal Services a driver for OS upgrades

Terminal Services (TS) have been a part of Windows servers for the longest time, allowing users to access applications and data on remote computers over a network. Yet Citrix has always seemed to be one step ahead of TS in terms of features and stability. In fact, you may not even seriously consider TS for your enterprise — but that would be a mistake. With Server 2008, Terminal Services received some impressive enhancements.

In fact, the InfoWorld Test Center said Terminal Services was one of the top 10 improvements in Windows Server 2008, praising it as “vastly improved … with HTTPS tunneling and RemoteApp double-click launch of server-hosted Windows applications.” And Greg Shields (MVP for Terminal Services and newly acquired contributor to TechNet magazine) says it is “arguably the most compelling reason to upgrade” to Server 2008.

So what exactly are these new features that may have us reconsidering Microsoft Terminal Services for our environments? Here are a few:

1. TS RemoteApp Unlike the traditional Remote Desktop connection to a Terminal Server, RemoteApp allows a user to connect and run only a specific program itself; he or she doesn’t need to have the entire OS environment. No Start button, taskbar, desktop — simply the application. (Citrix admins would know this feature as Citrix Published Applications.)

2. TS Web Access This feature allows users to connect to TS through a Web browser. It not only allows a full remote desktop connection, but it also works in harmony with the RemoteApp features so that users can access the site and see a list of available programs to choose from. They can then choose to only use a given application itself. It’s a great way to allow users access to the TS applications from their intranet or the Internet. And for you SharePoint gurus, the TS Web Access Web part can be included within a SharePoint Services site.

3. TS Session Broker With previous versions of TS, if you wanted to load balance the applications running, you need to use the Terminal Services Session Directory feature combined with Network Load Balancing. In Server 2008, the features are combined into the TS Session Broker, allowing you to evenly distribute the session load within a server farm of Terminal Servers.

4. TS Gateway This feature uses RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) over HTTPS to create a secure and encrypted connection for users between the remote server and the local, internal network resources. In the past you may have used an IPSec VPN to accomplish the connection. However, having RDP wrapped in SSL provides a point-to-point RDP connection that will allow users to create a “tunnel” for accessing their applications and data, as opposed to giving them access to all internal network resources. While making the connection much easier for users to learn how to use, it creates a more secure arrangement and gives the administrators greater control over the connection.

These are a few of the key features, but there are others such as TS Printing through the Easy Print driver (which requires .Net Framework 3.0 SP1) which virtually eliminates all the past headaches of printing with Terminal Services. There are also some enhancements to the overall core functionality with resolution improvements, monitor spanning, desktop experience upgrades, font smoothing, plug-and-play device redirection for digital cameras and media players (only with Vista clients), single sign-on (again, only with Vista clients), and more.

In order for any of these new features to work for your users, however, you will need to either be using an OS that has the new Remote Desktop Client (RDC 6.1) included, such as Server 2008, Vista, and/or XP SP3, or you will need to download the client if you want to use it with XP SP2.

In some cases, the new features will only work if you are using a Vista client. This may actually be a key driver to your rolling out Vista, according to InfoWorld Chief Technologist Tom Yager. He wrote in his review of Windows Server 2008, “With or without tunneling, Terminal Services has grown from a convenience to a necessity. Remote Desktop Protocol Version 6 and 6.1 are bundled with Vista, and count among the many new Windows Server 2008 features that roll out a red carpet for Vista clients. In the recent past, I have taken the position that IT shouldn’t be forced into Vista. After working Vista with Windows Server 2008, especially Terminal Services, I have reversed my position. As you migrate from Windows Server 2003 to 2008, upgrade your clients as well.”

It’s obvious Microsoft has been doing a great job of improving Terminal Services. But is it enough? In the past you have needed Citrix Presentation Server or Ericom PowerTerm WebConnect — but will Server 2008 Terminal Server eliminate that need? Dan Shappir, vice president of software development at Ericom Software, isn’t too worried. He opines that Microsoft has made enhancements to satisfy a few customers and partners — but that TS in Server 2008 is positioned more as an entry-level solutions for companies with “simpler needs.” For the more “sophisticated requirements,” you will still need Ericom or Citrix, he says.

Is he correct? What is your experience in the TS world? Is Microsoft making a move for the bigger markets with their enhancements or simply catching up with the big boys to keep its name in the game and sell a few more TS CALs (client access licenses)?