The Ultimate Windows Server 1002003 System Administrators Guide [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

INSTALLING TERMINAL SERVICES

Installation of Terminal Services is extremely straightforward but further configuration is required, as discussed later in this chapter. The installation process is:

Click Start menu All Programs Administrative Tools Configure Your Server click Next until the Server Role screen appears, then select Terminal Services click Next. (Alternatively, you get to this point from Control Panel and add Windows components.)

A warning screen appears; it is discussed in the next section. Click Next.

You will then be asked to set the security levels at Full Security or Relaxed Security, as shown in Figure 15.3. It is recommended that you select Full Security whenever possible. Relaxed Security is designed for support of earlier applications. Select the security level and click Next.

The installation process gathers information and writes appropriate files locally. When the process is complete, click Finish when prompted. Then restart the system so that the installation can take effect.

NOTEIf you are supporting older applications that require Relaxed Security, it is recommended that they be moved to a separate server. All other applications should then be run from Full Security servers. This isolation should reduce security breaches.

NOTETerminal Services provides a 120-day grace period before formal product licensing is required. In order to activate Terminal Services Licensing, select this feature from Add/Remove Application Windows Component wizard, which is available from Control Panel.

NOTEAs noted earlier, Windows 2000 requires Administrative and Application server functions installed in separate actions. The Add/Remove Application Windows Component wizard available from Control Panel for Terminal Services Setup asks you to choose a mode:

Remote administration mode allows an administrator to remotely manage the server.

Application server mode allows users to remotely run applications from the server.

Select the desired setup mode and click Next.

NOTETerminal Services licensing has been streamlined by a new wizard. This includes a new Internet connection method for activating licenses, new error messages, and added support for new types of licenses. This wizard is available from Administrative Tools Terminal Server Licensing.

Installing Applications for Use with Terminal Services

Although Microsoft has tested the compatibility of Terminal Services with many popular commercial software packages, such as its own Office XP, Corel Office, and Lotus SmartSuite, not all applications will run in this environment. When in doubt, check with the third-party software vendor for compatibility and special requirements for installation or configuration.

Applications should be installed after Terminal Server, and they must be set up to work with it. Installation is either through the standard Control Panel Add/Remove Programs wizard or via the command line. When using the Add/Remove Programs wizard, select the Change User Option and click All users with common applications settings for universal access or Install applications setting for this user only. To install using the command prompt, type change user /install and click Enter. Then run the application's setup program. Type change user /execute and click Enter to complete the installation. If available, run the post-installation script, as discussed in the next paragraph.

Applications installed prior to Terminal Services usually need to be reinstalled or properly configured. For example, we installed a popular shareware program before Terminal Services on a member server. When we then attempted to launch the program, the warning message indicated a registry failure. In this case, it became necessary to uninstall the application and to reinstall it. In some cases, it may be necessary to edit the registry manually to remove all references to the application. In other cases, the only changes required are to run a post-installation script located in \Windows\Application Compatibility Scripts\Install. Refer to that directory for compatibility scripts and to the Microsoft Web site for updates.

Figure 15.4 provides an example of the Terminal Services Installation Warning Message.

Sizing Terminal Services Systems

Sizing a system for Terminal Services is not an exact science, given that the applications that will run on the server and the demands placed on the system by individual users can vary radically. If the typical user maintains a single session and runs a single, medium-level, memory-dependent application, plan on a minimum allocation of 4 to 8 MB of additional RAM per user above the base 64-MB Terminal Services system requirement. (This calculation does not include the base memory required for the operating system.) However, be prepared for the amount of RAM to increase with added demands. A system administrator must monitor the performance of the server and make adjustments to memory, the number of users, and the application types.

The architecture of the applications can also affect performance. Wherever possible, 32-bit software should be used. Windows 16-bit programs that generally date back to the days of Windows 3.11 must be processed through the Windows on Windows (WOW) operating system layer, which translates application processes and therefore requires additional system resources.

NOTEThe 64-bit version of Windows Server 2003 limits a number of functions that could affect certain Terminal Services support options. These limitations are listed in the appendix of the book. You should also refer to Microsoft's Web site for changes in 64-bit features.

As for network or asynchronous computer adapters such as an RS323 serial port, use the highest-performance hardware available. Although down-level adapters can generally be employed, interrupts and data flow speed may be significantly impacted.

Disk access is the final major consideration. Since multiple users will be seeking stored information at the same time, speed of throughput is critical. Generally, fast SCSI or SCSI-2 drives are recommended. IDE, ESDI, and ST-506 drives have lower throughput.

Enabling and Disabling Terminal Services

Terminal Services can be toggled off and on, but because of its potential impact on installed applications, this is generally not recommended. Still, there may be times when Terminal Services on a particular server may be necessary, such as for security or system performance. By default, Terminal Services are enabled. To disable Terminal Services without uninstalling the software, follow these steps:

Launch the Control Panel and select Add/Remove programs.

Select the Add/Remove Windows Components.

In the Windows Components Wizard dialog box, highlight Terminal Server.

Select Details and remove the check mark from Terminal Server.

Click OK.

Terminal Services can be reenabled by following the preceding steps but adding the check mark in the Terminal Services dialog box.