Using Terminal Services to Connect Microsoft Project Professional to Microsoft Project Server

Published: March 1, 2003

Microsoft Corporation

Applies to:
Microsoft Project Server 2002
Microsoft Project Professional 2002

Summary Learn how using Terminal Services overcomes slow WAN link performance and enables access to Microsoft Project Server for users who work outside of the domain.

Terminal Services can be used to connect Microsoft® Project Professional to Microsoft Project Server. There are two primary benefits to using Terminal Services as part of your Microsoft Project Server deployment:

• To overcome slow WAN link performance. Some users of Microsoft Project Professional experience slower performance when connecting to Microsoft Project Server over WAN links. Terminal Services is an effective way of overcoming a slow (10 MBps or less) WAN link connection.

• To enable access to Microsoft Project Server for users who work outside of the domain. If your organization has members who are not part of a domain that can easily access Microsoft Project Server, or if your organization has many small satellite offices, using Terminal Services makes it easier for these users to access Microsoft Project Server.

Terminal Services uses terminal emulation software to send keystrokes and mouse movements from the Windows client to a copy of Microsoft Project Professional that is installed on a Terminal Services server. Interaction with the Microsoft Project Server database is handled between the Terminal Services server and the Microsoft Project Server. Any user with permission to access both the Terminal Services server and Microsoft Project Server will be able to use the copy of Microsoft Project Professional and Microsoft Project Web Access on the Terminal Services server. A profile can be set up for each user of Microsoft Project Professional.

On This Page

Deploying Terminal Services for Microsoft Project Server
Deployment and Support Guidelines

Deploying Terminal Services for Microsoft Project Server

When deploying a Terminal Services server for use with Microsoft Project Server, the Terminal Services server should be located in the same domain as the Microsoft Project Server and should be physically located as close as possible to the Microsoft Project Server (for example, in the same building or in the same data center). The Terminal Server should be set up as an application server. Microsoft Project Professional should be installed on the Terminal Services server.

Note: For more information, see the article Deploying Terminal Services, the Terminal Services Home Page at Microsoft.com, and Windows 2000 Terminal Services Licensing FAQ.

Deployment Scenario: Centralized Deployment of Microsoft Project Professional for Remote Use of Microsoft Project Server

A centralized deployment of Microsoft Project Professional can be achieved by loading Microsoft Project Professional onto a Windows® 2000 server with Terminal Services enabled in Application Server mode. A regional (or global) deployment of Microsoft Project Server for employees in multiple locations will be able to provide remote users in other domains, and users outside of a domain, with reliable access to Microsoft Project Server by providing access to Microsoft Project Professional on the Terminal Services server.

Figure 1: A centralized deployment of Microsoft Project Professional that enables users in other domains and remote locations access to Microsoft Project Server

Deployment and Support Guidelines

The following list describes some guidelines you should follow when setting up Terminal Services for use with Microsoft Project Server:

• Processing power Use a server that has multiple processors that exceed the recommended Windows 2000 operating system processing requirements.

• RAM Determine the number of concurrent users that will require access to the Terminal Services server at peak times to determine the total amount of RAM. Concurrent users are the number of users logged on to the Terminal Services server, plus the number of users in a disconnected state (user who have closed the Terminal Services client without actually logging out of the Terminal Services server). You should plan on at least 50 MB or RAM per concurrent user over the amount of RAM required by the operating system. Therefore, if you are housing Terminal Services for up to 20 concurrent users at peak time, 1.0 GB of RAM should be sufficient (20 users times 50 MB of RAM per user), in addition to the amount of RAM required by the operating system.

• Location of the Terminal Services server in relation to the Microsoft Project Server database The Terminal Services server must be in the same domain as the Microsoft Project Server database server. Ideally, the Terminal Services server is in the same data center or even in the same room. The closer the Terminal Services server can be placed to the Microsoft Project Server database server, the better.

• Microsoft Project Professional and Microsoft Project Web Access Microsoft Project Professional must be installed on the Terminal Services server. Microsoft Project Web Access should also be set up to be run from the same Terminal Services server if either of the following conditions applies: if Microsoft Project Web Access is not set up to be accessible over the Internet or in the event that someone needs to use Terminal Services to use Microsoft Project Web Access. Microsoft Project Web Access requires an ActiveX component in order to connect to Microsoft Project Server. This component must be installed before other users will be able to log on to the Terminal Services server (though the component only needs to be installed once, not for every user of the Terminal Services server). A user with administrator permissions to both Microsoft Project Server and the Terminal Services server should run Internet Explorer on the Terminal Services server, and then complete the full process of logging on to Microsoft Project Server. This will download the ActiveX components required by Microsoft Project Web Access.

The following list describes some support issues you should consider after setting up a Terminal Services server for use with Microsoft Project Server:

• Monitoring Use System Monitor to analyze Terminal Services performance. Components that should be analyzed are the CPU, memory usage, and network performance at both normal and peak times. Congestion in a Terminal Services server deployment can affect following: the speed at which client workstations connect to the Terminal Services server; the client network interface; the physical network media; the server client-to-server network interface; or the server network interface for server-to-server/host communications.

• Automatically log off disconnected users Users who disconnect from Terminal Services without logging off will still be treated as a concurrent user of the Terminal Services server. This causes unnecessary load on the server, especially during peak times. You should set time limits on idle sessions and let members of your organization know that if they do not properly log off they may lose any unsaved work.

• Running Terminal Services You can run Terminal Services clients from many locations, including remote desktops, by doing any of the following: log on to a Terminal Services server and access Microsoft Project Professional directly; log on to Terminal Services using the Terminal Service client included with Windows XP; or log on to a Terminal Services server using Remote Desktop Connection Web, which is a Web-based Terminal Services client that is available as part of the Terminal Services Advanced Client. Any user with access to Internet Explorer and the ability to download ActiveX controls will be able to access Terminal Services using Remote Desktop Connection Web.