RD Web Access allows you to publish applications through a web interface. To setup RD Web Access in Windows 2008 R2, you need to decide how many servers you want to use for load balancing and if you are appending the RD Web Access servers to an existing Remote Desktop Services environment.
This tutorial guides you through the setup of RD Web Access in Windows 2008 R2, assuming that you require two load-balanced RD Web Access servers, with an RD Connection Broker (load balancer). To setup RD Web Access in this configuration, you will require 3 Windows Server 2008 R2 servers.
Step By Step – How To Setup RD Web Access
To setup RD Web Access in Windows 2008 R2:
1. Name, activate, allocate an IP address to and join each 2008 R2 Server to the domain.
2. Run Windows Update and reboot afterward.
3. On the two RD Web Access Servers, install the Remote Desktop Services role, selecting the Remote Desktop Web Access and RD Session Host role services. You can also install Remote Desktop Session Host if you want users to be able to launch remote desktop connections through the RD Web Access interface instead of just published applications. You can also install the Remote Desktop Gateway if you want users to be able to access terminal services over the internet. This article will only be covering the publishing of remote desktop applications. Memory tells me that you also need the Web Server (IIS) role for RD Web Access, though I can’t be sure because my RD Web Access server already has the role installed.
4. You’ll need to setup the options for the RD Session Host role. I elected not to Require Network Level Authentication because some of the computers in my organization are running older, non-Windows RDP clients. My licensing is Per User, but this will depend on the licenses that you bought. Next, you will have to select which users can connect to the server via RDP. The best practice is to create an AD group for users with remote access, but I will simply be adding the Domain Users group so that all users on the domain have access. Next, select the tick boxes for the user experience. Ticking more boxes increases the traffic sent over the network, but can be overridden locally on the client.
5. On the third server, install the Remote Desktop Services role with the RD Licensing (If you don’t have an RD Licensing Server – Not covered in this article) and RD Connection Broker role services. Again, I think the Web Server (IIS) role may be required
6. Reboot the servers.
7. Log-in as an Administrator.
8. Next, install the programs that you would like to publish
9. Reboot if necessary
10. On the RD Web Access servers, go to Start -> Administrative Tools -> Remote Desktop Services -> RemoteApp Manager
11. In the RemoteApp Manager, you will see an overview of the RDS environment. If there are any red crosses or yellow triangles with exclamation marks in them, then these highlight issues with RDS that need to be addressed
12. Reboot if asking to reboot.
13. At the bottom of the RemoteApp Manager, right-click the table of RemoteApp Programs, and click Add RemoteApp Programs
14. Follow through the wizard to add a Remote App. Once you’ve done this, the program will be published. There are additional configuration options available, such as changing the name of the published application or restricting it to specific users or groups, which can be done by right-clicking the application and going to the properties, but these are not covered in this article
15. Next secure RD Web Access with an SSL certificate
16. Start the Server Manager on each RD Web Access server (Or manage them all from one central Server Manager!)
17. Click Configuration -> Local Users and Groups -> Groups
18. Add the group of computers that you wish to allow to run RemoteApps from to the TS Web Access Computers group. To allow all, add the Domain Computers group
19. Add the Domain Administrators group to the TS Web Access Administrators group under the Overview,
20. Next, we need to configure an RD Licensing Server to point to. To do this, go to Start -> Administrative Tools -> Remote Desktop Services -> Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration and click on RD Session Host Configuration: ServerName
21. Under Licensing, right click Remote Desktop license servers and click Properties
22. Click Add… to add an RD Licensing Server and add your RD Licensing Server…
23. On the RD Web Access servers, go to Start -> Administrative Tools -> Remote Desktop Services -> Remote Desktop Web Access Configuration
24. Log on using an administrative account
25. Under Configuration, select One or more RemoteApp sources with the Source name set to localhost, click OK
Installation of Remote Desktop Services:-
Configuration of Remote Desktop Services – RDWeb:-
a).- First configure RD Gateway Manager-
1. Open server manager and select Remote Desktop Services-> RD Gateway Manager->Policy and Right click on Policies and Select create New Authorization Policies. (see below screenshot)
2. Select the required option and click on Next.
3. Select the required option and click on Next.
4. Select the required option and click on Next.
5. Select the required option and click on Next.
6. Select the required option and click on Next.
7. Now Enter the policy name and click on Next
8. Select the required option and click on Next.
9. Select the required option and click on Next.
10. Select Allow the connection only through TCP port 3389 (Default Port)
11. After seeing the summary click finish.
12. Click Finish and Close.
13. Now Both Policies has been created. You can see in below screen
14. But RD Gateway server farm member is showing 0 now click on View RD Gateway Farm member and you will see below screen, enter RD Gateway server and Add, Apply and OK.
b).- Second configure RD App Manager-
1. To configure RD App Manager Open Server Manager and Click on Remote App Manager (you will see multiple warnings and errors in below screen as we will change the setting to resolve these warnings/errors)
2. First of all Click on RD Session Host Server Setting and give the server FQDN url from you want to access the website from outside i.e. connect3.microsoft.com (example), Click Apply and OK.
3. Now Click on Digital Signature settings in RD App Manager and Click on Change as showing in below screen.
4. Here you will see previously imported Certificate, Select one which you want to apply and click OK.
5. To resolve the warning – Distributed with RD web access on RD App Manager, Add the TS name to access trough RD web in the TS web access computers group in local users and Groups, Apply and OK.
6. To resolve error The Remote App Program list is empty- follow steps given in the snapshot.
7. Select Remote Desktop Connection and click on Properties.
8. Fill required details and IP of VM or TS which you want to publish on RD Web Portal.
9. Now you can see all the error has been removed, as showing in below snapshot.
C) Third Configure Remote Desktop web access configuration
1. Click on Start and go to Administrative Tools->Remote Desktop Services->Click on Remote Desktop Web Access Configuration-
2. You will see below screen, Now log in with domain Admin or Accessible account in the RD web portal.
3. Once you log on then Click on Configuration and Enter One or more Remote App Source Server Name.
Now you are Done will all the Configuration-
- your web URL will be your server IP/Name/RDweb
- example:- http://RCM-TRM3.domainname/RDweb
- If you have made Entry in Public DNS with connect3.microsoft.com then your url will be http://connect3.microsoft.com/RDWeb
Step1 – log in from any public network using you URL, you will see below screen. enter user name and password.
Step2– Once you enter user name and password the you are able to see published VM, Click on the Icon and you are done to login.
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