Remote Desktop Session Host
Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2
Remote Desktop Session Host is a Remote Desktop Services role service that supports sharing of Windows-based programs or the full Windows desktop. Users can connect to a Remote Desktop Session Host server to run programs, save files, and use network resources on that server.
Aspects
The following is a list of all aspects that are part of this managed entity:
| Name | Description |
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Audio and video playback redirection is only available when connecting to computers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2 with the Remote Desktop Session Host role service installed, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate. |
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Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) 7.0 and Windows Server 2008 R2 support improved media playback experience by efficiently transporting audio-based and video-based multimedia in a compressed format within the RDP protocol. This feature enables users to experience smooth, reliable playback of multimedia video content played back through Windows Media Player. If the client supports audio and video playback redirection, it will receive the original compressed multimedia stream from the server and decode it locally for display. Note: Audio and video playback requires less network bandwidth because the data sent over the network is compressed video instead of a series of bitmap images. |
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Audio and video playback redirection provides the ability to decode a compressed stream and render the content on a client computer. For audio and playback redirection to function correctly, the client computer must be able to decode the stream. |
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Bi-directional audio provides the ability to decode a compressed audio stream and render the audio on a client computer. For bi-directional audio to function correctly, the client computer must be able to decode the audio stream. |
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To use bi-directional audio redirection, the Remote Desktop Connection client must support Remote Desktop Protocol 7.0. |
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Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) 7.0 and Windows Server 2008 R2 support bi-directional audio redirection by efficiently transporting audio-based multimedia in a compressed format within the RDP protocol. If the client supports bi-directional audio redirection, it will receive the original compressed audio stream from the server and decode it on the client computer. |
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Remote Desktop Connection Broker (RD Connection Broker), formerly Terminal Services Session Broker, is a Remote Desktop Services role service in Windows Server 2008 R2 that supports session load balancing between RD Session Host servers in a farm, connections to virtual desktops, and reconnection to an existing session in a load-balanced RD Session Host server farm. For RD Connection Broker to work properly, the RD Session Host server must be able to communicate with the RD Connection Broker server across the network. |
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Remote Desktop IP Virtualization relies on the proper network adapters to be enabled on the RD Session Host server. |
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Remote Desktop IP Virtualization allows you to assign a unique IP address to a user session or on a per program basis. You must have a DHCP scope configured with enough IP addresses for all sessions or programs on an RD Session Host server. |
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An RD Session Host server must be able to contact a Remote Desktop license server to request Remote Desktop Services client access licenses (RDS CALs) for users or computing devices that are connecting to the RD Session Host server. |
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Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.0 enhances the security of sessions by providing server authentication and by encrypting RD Session Host server communications. The RD Session Host and the client computer must be correctly configured for clients to make successful remote connections and for TLS to provide enhanced security. For example, a certificate is needed to authenticate an RD Session Host server when SSL (TLS 1.0) is used to secure communication between a client and an RD Session Host server during Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections. |
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The Remote Desktop Session Host role service relies on the Remote Desktop Services service to be running in order to accept remote connections. Remote Desktop also relies on the Remote Desktop Services service in order to support remote connections for administrative purposes. |
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Remote Desktop Services Client Access License (RDS CAL) Availability |
An RD Session Host server must be able to contact a Remote Desktop license server to request Remote Desktop Services client access licenses (RDS CALs) for users or computing devices that are connecting to the RD Session Host server. In addition, the Remote Desktop licensing mode configured on an RD Session Host server must match the type of RDS CALs available on the license server. |
Remote Desktop Services provides printer redirection, which routes printing jobs from a server to a printer that is attached to a client computer or to a shared printer that is available to the client computer. When a user establishes a remote session with an RD Session Host server, the redirected printer will be available to applications running in the remote session. By default, an RD Session Host server that is running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 first tries to use the Remote Desktop Services Easy Print driver. If the client computer does not support this driver, the RD Session Host server looks for a matching printer driver installed on the RD Session Host server. You can either install a matching printer driver on the RD Session Host server, or you can create a custom printer mapping file. |
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Users can connect to an RD Session Host server to run programs, save files, and use network resources on that server. When a user disconnects from a session, all processes running in the session, including applications, will continue to run on the RD Session Host server. The user logon mode on the RD Session Host server can be configured to prevent new user sessions from being created on the RD Session Host server. You might want to prevent new user sessions from being created on the RD Session Host server when you are planning to take the RD Session Host server offline for maintenance or to install new applications. |
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The listener component runs on the RD Session Host server and is responsible for listening for and accepting new Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) client connections, thereby allowing users to establish new remote sessions on the RD Session Host server. There is a listener for each Remote Desktop Services connection that exists on the RD Session Host server. Connections can be created and configured by using the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration tool. |
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The properties of a user account can be configured to provide a Remote Desktop Services-specific profile and home folder. This profile and home folder will only be used when a user establishes a remote session with an RD Session Host server. A separate profile for RD Session Host sessions should be assigned to a user because many of the common options that are stored in profiles, such as screen savers and animated menu affects, are not desirable when using Remote Desktop Services. |
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A roaming user profile cache allows you to limit the amount of hard disk space that is used by Remote Desktop Services user profiles. If the roaming user profile cache is not available, Remote Desktop Services cannot limit the amount of hard disk space used by Remote Desktop Services user profiles. |
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Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2008 R2 includes support for redirection of Windows Portable Devices, specifically media players based on the Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) and digital cameras based on the Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP), as well as devices that use Microsoft Point of Service (POS) for .NET 1.11. When a user establishes a remote session with a Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 RD Session Host server, the supported Plug and Play device attached to the user's local computer can be redirected and made available to the user in the remote session. |
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Windows Installer RDS Compatibility is a new feature included with Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2008 R2. With Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2008 R2, per user application installations are queued by the RD Session Host server and then handled by the Windows Installer. |