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Remote Desktop Connection Broker

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

What are the major changes?

Remote Desktop Connection Broker (RD Connection Broker), formerly Terminal Services Session Broker (TS Session Broker), is used to provide users with access to RemoteApp and Desktop Connection. RemoteApp and Desktop Connection provides users a single, personalized, and aggregated view of RemoteApp programs, session-based desktops, and virtual desktops to users. RD Connection Broker supports load balancing and reconnection to existing sessions on virtual desktops, Remote Desktop sessions, and RemoteApp programs accessed by using RemoteApp and Desktop Connection. RD Connection Broker also aggregates RemoteApp sources from multiple Remote Desktop Session Host (RD Session Host) servers that may host different RemoteApp programs.

To configure which RemoteApp programs and virtual desktops are available through RemoteApp and Desktop Connection, you must add the RD Connection Broker role service on a computer running Windows Server 2008 R2, and then use Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RD Connection Manager).

For more information, see RemoteApp and Desktop Connection.

Who will be interested in this feature?

The improvements to the RD Connection Broker role service will be of interest to organizations that are implementing either a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) or are deploying session-based desktops or RemoteApp programs. Additionally, these improvements will be of interest to organizations that currently use or are interested in Remote Desktop Services.

What does RD Connection Broker do?

RD Connection Broker extends the TS Session Broker capabilities included in Windows Server 2008 by creating a unified administrative experience for traditional session-based remote desktops and virtual machine-based remote desktops. A virtual machine-based remote desktop can be either a personal virtual desktop or part of a virtual desktop pool. In the case of a personal virtual desktop, there is a one-to-one mapping of virtual machines to users. Each user is assigned a personal virtual desktop that can be personalized and customized. These changes are available to users each time that they log on to their personal virtual desktop. For a virtual desktop pool, a single image is replicated across many virtual machines. As users connect to the shared virtual desktop pool, they are dynamically assigned a virtual desktop. Because users may not be assigned the same virtual desktop when they connect, any personalization and customization made by a user are not saved. If you choose to use a virtual desktop pool and users need their personalization and customizations saved, you can use roaming profiles and folder redirection.

Which editions include this feature?

RD Connection Broker is available in the following editions of Windows Server 2008 R2:

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter

RD Connection Broker is not available in the following editions of Windows Server 2008 R2:

  • Windows Web Server 2008 R2

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems

Additional references

For information about other new features in Remote Desktop Services, see What's New in Remote Desktop Services.