How to Install a Terminal Server in Windows Server 2008 R2

Server technology allows you to broadcast computing power to the client. The so-called Terminal Server can “lease” performance resources. This is extremely useful if you have a well-equipped “machine” on Windows Server 2008 R2 and a few weak, outdated terminals.

How to install and configure a terminal server in Windows Server 2008 R2.

A typical example of use is working with 1C from another mainland using an RDP client. The computing capabilities of the computer on which the programs run are not important at all – because all the load falls on the server.

Table of Contents

What you need to get started

Powerful PC with Windows Server 2008 R2 installed on it. Setting up this Windows is more difficult than others. We will not consider setting it up in this article. ADVICE. For good operation of the Terminal Server, it is desirable to have from 32 GB of RAM. Not bad if your configuration also has 2 processors with four cores each.
Terminal Server Client License currently in effect. Enterprise Agreement licenses are mainly used now.
This is a short guide.

vehicle installation

All instructions are relevant to the ready-to-use and fully configured Windows Server 2008 R2. To continue, make sure that:

Configured network adapters.
The time is set correctly in the system.
Automatic update is inactive.
Hostname specified.
Configured RDP.
The TEMP folder is specified as the temporary file repository.
The account name is not specified by default (it is undesirable to use Admin, User, Root, or similar names).

Remote PC service and its settings

In the “Start” menu, find Administrative Tools – Server Manager and go to it.
In the navigation pane on the left, select Roles, then in the center window Add roles.

Select a single role – Remote Desktop Services and click Next. In the next window, select the RD Session Host and RD Licensing roles (“Session Node …” and “Licensing …”).

Select the “Do not require …” authentication method. This will allow clients with older versions of RDP to work with the terminal server.

In Specify Licensing Mode, select one of three options:

Per device. The preferred method. Terminal Server licensing for each individual device.
Per user. The terminal server on Windows Server 2008 R2 is licensed to individual users.
Configure later. Delays the choice of licensing method.

In the next window, select the user group that will have access to the Terminal Server. Everyone – for everyone who has a license. Click Add – Advanced and add Everyone at the bottom. Confirm your selection.

In the Add roles wizard, you can enable additional server settings when needed. Study the Wizard carefully if you need to provide video or music content to remote users of the server.

In Configure Discovery Scope, specify the detection area settings (for setting permissions). Set “Configure a discovery scope …” and …:

If a PC with Windows Server 2008 R2 is part of the domain – This domain or The forest.
If not – This workgroup.

Confirm the items selected for installation. Carefully check your selection, make sure your settings are saved, and restart your computer.

Licensing (activation)

After restarting Windows Server 2008 R2, you will see the message – “Licensing server not configured …”.

Go to Start – Administrative Tools – Remote Desktop Services – RDS Host Configuration.
In the main window you should see Not Specified opposite RD license servers. Double-click on the caption.

Choose Per device – Add. In the new window, enter the name of your server, then Add and click OK. Windows Server 2008 R2 now has a licensing source, but activation is not yet complete.
Start – “Administrative …” – RD Services (“Remote Desktop Services”) – Remote Desktop LM.
In the context menu of your terminal server properties, select Activate Server.

The “Activation Wizard …” (AS Wizard) will start. In the first window, leave Automatic connection.
In the following forms, enter your data in all free fields. In the Activate Server Wizard, the fields can be left blank.
You will see a completion window. On the contrary, Start Install LW now should have a flag.
Select License Program – Enterprise Agreement. If you have another type of license, find it in the list.
In the next step “Masters” enter one of the numbers on the right in the free field.
In the Product version and license type, select the OS version (in our case, Windows Server 2008 R2) and the activation type (license) – Per device CAL or another. Quantity – preferably “9999”.

To verify that the activation is working correctly, go to the RD Session Host (in the Start menu folder we worked with earlier) and study all the settings you have made.

applications

A terminal server running Windows Server 2008 R2 allows you to make additional settings on client computers. To connect the printer from the local network to the session, you need to install its drivers on the server and the user terminal. Then select the Printers check box in the Local Devices and Resources window.

ADVICE. If the destination computers have Windows XP SP3 (at least), then in the “Add roles wizard” – “Authentication Wizard” it is better to specify “Require authentication …” (Require authentication). If not – the opposite point.

If possible, use Windows Server 2012 R2 or a newer Windows Server. This solution is easier to configure and better scalable.

conclusions

We got acquainted with the features of setting up Windows Server 2008 R2 and discussed step-by-step installation of the most important parameters. We are sure that now it will be easier for you to create and configure your own terminal server.

Maybe you are using version 2012 R2? We have a detailed guide for this version of Windows. Look for it, as well as many other interesting information among our materials!