.png)
Remote Desktop Services Overview
Published: February 29, 2012
Updated: February 29, 2012
Applies To: Windows Server 2012
 Tip |
|---|
| Remote Desktop Services is enhanced in Windows Server 2012. Explore the Evaluation Guide and download the Windows Server 2012 Trial. |
Remote Desktop Services accelerates and extends desktop and application deployments to any device, improving remote worker efficiency, while helping to keep critical intellectual property secure and simplify regulatory compliance. Remote Desktop Services enables both a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and session-based desktops, allowing users to work anywhere.
Did you mean…
-
Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008
-
Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2008 R2
-
Remote Desktop Services resources (all versions)
-
Microsoft Server and Cloud Platform
The Remote Desktop Services role in Windows Server® 2012 provides technologies that enable users to connect to virtual desktops, RemoteApp programs, and session-based desktops. With Remote Desktop Services, users can access remote connections from within a corporate network or from the Internet.
Remote Desktop Services allows workers to work anywhere. Some of the key benefits of Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2012 include:
-
Unified administration experience – Administer your session and virtual desktop collections, configure your RemoteApp programs, manage your virtual desktops, and add servers to the deployment from one centralized console.
-
User personalization – User profile disks allow you to preserve user personalization settings across session collections and pooled virtual desktop collections.
-
Less expensive storage – Pooled virtual desktops can use local storage live migration between host computers. Personal virtual desktops can use storage located on network shares.
-
Automated pooled virtual desktop management – Deploy and manage pooled virtual desktops centrally by using a virtual desktop template. Any changes, such as application installation or security updates, are installed on the virtual desktop template, and the pooled virtual desktops are then recreated from the virtual desktop template.
Remote Desktop Services enables the mobile work force to connect to desktop and applications from anywhere. In Windows Server 2012, Remote Desktop Services includes enhancements in the following areas:
-
Simplified Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) deployment and management
-
Simplified Session Virtualization deployment and management
-
Centralized resource publishing
-
Rich user experience with Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)
The user experience has been enhanced for Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2012 in the following ways:
-
Rich Windows desktop remoting experience
-
Smooth audio and video playback experience
-
Rich graphics and video user experience over a WAN
-
Enhanced device remoting support with USB Redirection for Session Virtualization and VDI
-
True Multi-Touch and gesture remoting
In addition to these areas of enhancement, Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2012 introduces a new management console for managing the majority of Remote Desktop Services-related tasks. For more information about new features and functionality, see What’s New in Remote Desktop Services.
For a list of deprecated features, see Features Removed or Deprecated in the Windows Server Developer Preview.
Remote Desktop Services requires that the Windows Server 2012 operating system be installed. There are no additional hardware or software requirements for running Remote Desktop Services.
There are several hardware requirements that must be met when you deploy a RemoteFX server:
-
SLAT-enabled processor. The processor on the RemoteFX server must support Second-Level Address Translation (SLAT).
-
GPU. At least one graphics processing unit (GPU) that is capable of supporting RemoteFX is required on the RemoteFX server. The GPU driver must support DirectX 11.
Remote Desktop Services is a server role that consists of several role services. In Windows Server 2012, the following Remote Desktop Services role services can be installed with this role:
| Role service name | Role service description |
|---|---|
|
RD Virtualization Host |
Remote Desktop Virtualization Host (RD Virtualization Host) integrates with Hyper-V to deploy pooled or personal virtual desktop collections within your organization by using RemoteApp and Desktop Connection. |
|
RD Session Host |
Remote Desktop Session Host (RD Session Host) enables a server to host RemoteApp programs or session-based desktops. Users can connect to RD Session Host servers in a session collection to run programs, save files, and use resources on those servers. |
|
RD Connection Broker |
Remote Desktop Connection Broker (RD Connection Broker):
|
|
RD Web Access |
Remote Desktop Web Access (RD Web Access) enables users to access RemoteApp and Desktop Connection through the Start menu on a computer that is running Windows 8, Windows 7, or through a web browser. RemoteApp and Desktop Connection provides a customized view of RemoteApp programs and session-based desktops in a session collection, and RemoteApp programs and virtual desktops in a virtual desktop collection. |
|
RD Licensing |
Remote Desktop Licensing (RD Licensing) manages the licenses required to connect to a Remote Desktop Session Host server or a virtual desktop. You can use RD Licensing to install, issue, and track the availability of licenses. |
|
RD Gateway |
Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway) enables authorized users to connect to virtual desktops, RemoteApp programs, and session-based desktops on an internal corporate network from any Internet-connected device. |
The following table provides additional resources for evaluating Remote Desktop Services.
