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Single Remote Desktop Session Host Server for Desktop Delivery Design

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Updated: March 23, 2011

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1

Remote Desktop Services lets you efficiently deploy and maintain software in an enterprise environment. You can easily deploy programs from a central location. Because you install the programs on the RD Session Host server and not on the client computer, programs are easier to upgrade and to maintain.

The following are the benefits of a single RD Session Host server for desktop delivery.

  • Application deployment: You can quickly deploy Windows-based programs to computing devices across an enterprise. Remote Desktop Services is especially useful when you have programs that are frequently updated, infrequently used, or difficult to manage.

  • Application consolidation: Programs are installed and run from an RD Session Host server, eliminating the need for updating programs on client computers. This also reduces the amount of network bandwidth that is required to access programs.

  • Remote access: Users can access programs that are running on an RD Session Host server from devices such as home computers, kiosks, low-powered hardware, and operating systems other than Windows.

  • Branch office access: Remote Desktop Services provides better program performance for branch office workers who need access to centralized data stores. Data-intensive programs sometimes do not have client/server protocols that are optimized for low-speed connections. Programs of this kind frequently perform better over a Remote Desktop Services connection than over a typical wide area network.

For detailed instructions for implementing a session-based design:

  Task Reference

Deploy an RD Session Host server.

Checklist: Deploying a Remote Desktop Session Host Server

Deploy an RD Gateway server.

Checklist: Deploying a Remote Desktop Gateway Server

When you deploy a single RD Session Host server for full desktop connections, users can connect to the RD Session Host server by typing the server’s name into the Remote Desktop Connection client. Only users with the right to log onto the RD Session Host server and members of the Remote Desktop Users Group will be able to connect using RDP.

By default, all users connecting to the full desktop will see the full set of applications installed on the RD Session Host server. They will have the permissions associated with their user accounts, so although they will be able to see (for example) the RDS tools they will not be able to reconfigure the server.

The main benefit to a single-server design for delivering full desktops is that it is a simple way to deliver desktop replacement.