- How To Install Windows Server
- Windows Server Versions
- Windows Server 2012 R2 Setup
- Installing Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services [RDS] allows users to access centralized applications and workstations in the data center remotely. Microsoft RDS is the new expanded and renamed Microsoft Terminal Services. In this post I will document the implementation of RDS in my home lab using an ‘all-in-one’ configuration.
vBoring Blog Series:
Server Roles in RDS:
These features and functionalities in Windows Server 2012 R2 have either been removed from the product in the current release or are planned for potential removal in subsequent releases (“deprecated”). Common Management Tasks and Navigation in Windows Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 feature the new Modern user interface. Installing Windows Server 2012 (step by step) 1- Insert the Windows Server 2012 DVD, and once you get the following message press Enter to boot from the setup 2- Wait for a while till the setup loads all necessary files (Depending on your machine, it will take couple of minutes) 3- Once the setup files are loaded. How to install and configure IIS on Windows Server 2012 R2 Step one: Install the Web Server (IIS) role. Step two: Configure IIS.
Part 1 Installing Windows Server 2012 R2 1. Create the operating system media. Create the operating system media. Start operating system installation. Place the Windows Server 2012 R2 DVD in the CD/DVD drive. Install or Upgrade. Observe that with these Windows Setup options. It takes just a few steps to install Windows server 2012 R2 on a machine. Once you are done change your time, time zone, date, server name and firewall settings by reading this related tutorial. You can then configure domain controller, additional domain controller, DNS or DHCP. Feb 19, 2013 Info Level: Beginner Presenter: Eli the Computer Guy Date Created: February 19, 2012 Length of Class: 22:56 Tracks Windows Server 2012 Prerequisites Previous experience installing an operating system.
There are three core roles to setup a RDS environment and are as follows:
- Remote Desktop Session Host [RDSH]: Applications are installed and published from the Session Host servers.
- Remote Desktop Connection Broker [RDCB]: This role handles user sessions by load balancing among the RD Session Host servers. Also allows disconnected users to reconnect to their existing sessions without starting a new one.
- Remote Desktop Web Access [RDWA]: This role provides a web portal to access the RDS environment. Also allows Windows 7 & 8 desktops to connect using the RemoteApp and Desktop Connection.
The follows roles are not required but add additional abilities to RDS:
- Remote Desktop Gateway [RDG]: This role enables remote users to use the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) over HTTPS. It is placed on the edge of your network and acts as the entry point to your RDS environment externally.
- Remote Desktop Virtualization Host [RDVH]: This allows RDS integration with a Hyper-V hypervisor to manage virtual desktops
- Licensing: RDS comes with a 120 day trial period. When the trial period ends RDS will no longer accept connections. The RDS License role handles the licensing for RDS.
For additional reading about the roles for RDS check out the Microsoft RDS Overview
Installing RDS Roles:
When setting up RDS you have the option of running the three core roles run on a single server or separate each role onto its own server. If you are setting RDS up for a lab or a small environment then a all-in-one setup would save you hardware resources. If your environment is large you will want to separate these roles to spread the resources across multiple servers. No matter which setup you pick they both can scale outward depending on user growth.
For my documentation I went with a single server called a Quick Start setup. To start open Server Manager then click Manager -> Add Roles and Features
Click Next
Change the selection to Remote Desktop Services Installation then click Next
In my environment I will have the three core RDS roles running on a single VM (all-in-one con. If you have a large number of users you will run through the Standard deployment where the three core services run on separate servers.
If you pick a Quick Start setup you can add additional servers to each role to allow expansion. Either option will allow you to grow with your environment!
We are setting up application publishing. Change selection to Session-based desktop deployment and click Next
Since we did the Quick Start selection the Connection Broker, Web Access and Session Host roles will be installed on the single server. Click Next
Check the box labeled Restart the destination server automatically if required then click Deploy
Here is what the progress window looks like. In my install it rebooted after the Remote Desktop Services role but did not for Session Collection and RemoteApp.
Once finished click Close. Remote Desktop Services is now installed!
Publishing Applications:-
A collection is a logical grouping of RDSH servers that application can be published from. Note: Each RDSH server can only participate in a single collection
If you went through the Quick Setup of RDS it will create a collection called “QuickCollection” that contains the applications Wordpad, MS Paint, and Calculator.
To add applications to the collection, click Tasks -> Publish RemoteApp Programs
It will scan your RDSH for installed applications and display them in a list. I have the vSphere Client installed, select your application then click Next
Confirm your application selection(s) and click Publish
Click Close to complete the publish process
RemoteApp Global Permissions:
By default the QuickSessionCollection gives all Domain Users access to Remote App programs. To change this click Tasks -> Edit Properties
Click User Groups. If you wanted to add or remove users Click Add and search.
If you want to remove Domain Users you must first add a user or group first before you can remove it. (There has to be at least 1 in User Groups)
Once you have a second user or group you can now remove Domain Users.
Remember this is at the Collections level. By default all RemoteApp programs inherit these permissions.
RemoteApp Program Permissions:
If you want to change the inherent permissions of a RemoteApp, select the application -> right click and click Edit Properties
How To Install Windows Server
Click User Assignment -> then change the option to Only specified users and groups. You can now Add and Remove the permissions inherit from the collection. In my example I wanted only my VMware Admins AD group to have permission to the vSphere Client. Click Apply and Ok to save you changes.
Accessing RemoteApp Programs via the Web Access:
To access your newly deployed RDS environment enter the following address of your RDWeb Access into your browser. Allow the add-on to run if prompted.
https://FQDN-or-IP-Address-of-RDWA-server/RDweb
Once logged in you will see applications that you have access to. If you went through the Quick Setup of RDS it will have created a “Collection” that contains Calculator, MS Paint and Wordpad. Click on a application to launch it. If you get a certificate error click Continue.
The application should launch! If you go to Help -> About you will see Server 2012 instead of the local OS. The application is being ran on the RDSH server and are only viewing it via RDS.
Continue reading – Part 2: Setup RD Licensing Role on Windows Server 2012 R2
Hello,
We launched Windows Server 2012 R2 few months ago http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/products/windows-server-2012-r2 and I started to update the couple of servers running in my rack from 2012 to 2012 R2. As I evaluated the beta releases, the only way to complete the upgrade to the final version is to reinstall fully the servers (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn303416.aspx).
We launched Windows Server 2012 R2 few months ago http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/products/windows-server-2012-r2 and I started to update the couple of servers running in my rack from 2012 to 2012 R2. As I evaluated the beta releases, the only way to complete the upgrade to the final version is to reinstall fully the servers (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn303416.aspx).
One of the bad surprises we all experienced with new releases is the “driver story”. In my servers, I run Infiniband HCA from Mellanox (for 10Gbps network / SAN).
As usual, the HCA is shown like this after a fresh install:
The set of drivers I use comes from the Open Fabrics Alliance, and they installed very well on Win 2008 R2 and Win 2012 (after a little trick to unlock the OS version check in the installer).
But, with 2012 R2, I had this:
But, with 2012 R2, I had this:
Ids dealer code. - Everything goes fine:
- Then
Windows Server Versions
And that’s it.
Windows Server 2012 R2 Setup
The explanation I finally found is: the signed drivers enforcement is stricter in Windows Server 2012 R2, than previous OS. So, for whatever reason, a driver working in 2012 may not be accepted on 2012 R2, even if the kernel core is the same (more info on Signed drivers here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff544865%28v=vs.85%29.aspx) .
My solution: remove the stronger signature enforcement, by changing the OS boot options. The official solution being to contact your vendor for a signed driver (that may not be available for your hardware anymore ….)
To implement my solution, I had to:
1. Display the Windows Charms (Windows + C)
1. Display the Windows Charms (Windows + C)
Installing Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter
2. Click on “Settings”
3. Click “Power”
4. then Click “Restart” WHILE PRESSING THE LEFT SHIFT KEY!!!
3. Click “Power”
4. then Click “Restart” WHILE PRESSING THE LEFT SHIFT KEY!!!
5. With this action, the following menu appears before the shutdown:
6. Click on “Troubleshoot”
7. Then “Startup settings”:
7. Then “Startup settings”:
8. Then, click “Restart”
9. The server finally reboots
10. And present the “Advanced Boot Options” (do you remember “F8”?)
10. And present the “Advanced Boot Options” (do you remember “F8”?)
11. You can now select the Option “Disable Driver Signature Enforcement”
12. Press “Enter”
13. The server boots normally
14. Install the exact same driver package:
14a. Click “Install this driver software anyway” (you don’t want to pay for new hardware and drivers):
14b. Do it as many times as required (in my case 5 times)
14c. Then the drivers setup ends:
15. And the HCA card is here:
And enjoy your hardware until the next major release of Windows Server.
<Emmanuel/>
13. The server boots normally
14. Install the exact same driver package:
14a. Click “Install this driver software anyway” (you don’t want to pay for new hardware and drivers):
14b. Do it as many times as required (in my case 5 times)
14c. Then the drivers setup ends:
15. And the HCA card is here:
And enjoy your hardware until the next major release of Windows Server.
<Emmanuel/>
P.S.: If you want to be sure it is a driver signature issue, try to update the driver and check the message: