Hi Everyone,
Longhorn server has been out for quite some time now, with the latest build being CTP August 06.
One of the huge let down’s I found from Microsoft’s server operating systems was the ability to have What we in the citrix world would call Published Applications.
There has always been a great debate in the Terminal Services World as to what is better, Terminal Services or Citrix, and of course Citrix has the majority of the market due to its published applications ability.. well not anymore!
Well finally Microsoft have developed 2 new components of their longhorn server family, Remote Programs and Terminal Services Gateway.
Additionally a new version of TS Web Access is also included but has many improvements over Windows Server 2003 and R2 TS Web Access
What is Remote Programs?
Remote Programs are programs that are accessed remotely through Terminal Services and appear as if they are running on a user’s local computer. Users can run Remote Programs Side-by-side with their local programs. If a user starts more than one Remote Program on the same terminal server, the Remote Programs will share the same Terminal Services Session.
To use Remote programs please be aware the client must be running on either Longhorn Server Beta2, Windows Server 2003 SP1 or higher, Windows Vista, or Windows XP SP2.
If you plan to use it on Server 2003 or XP, you must install Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) 6.0
You can download the installer from http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=49779
One of things I love about the new terminal services/remote programs, is that administrators can deploy them via an RDP file, or via an MSI, which is fantastic, especially the MSI, as it can be deployed through group policy!!!
My Lab Environment consists of the following: 1 Longhorn Server Beta 2 Domain Controller (I find Beta2 to be a bit more stable in VM’s than CTP August 06 Release), then 1 Longhorn Terminal Server, and of course 1 vista RC2 Client all joined in a single Domain.
Now I bet you are thinking, ‘well its all well and good talking about how good it is, but how do I set this up for myself to see?!’ It’s a breeze, and I am going to step you through it right now..
Install Terminal Server Role Service
To install the Terminal Server role Service
1. Start Server Manager. To start Server Manager, use any one of the following methods:
• Start, then click Server Manager
• Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click server manager
• Start, then Run, then type servermanager.msc then ok.
The following screen then appears
Under Roles Summary, click Add Roles
On the before you begin page, click next.
On the Select Server Roles page, Select the Terminal Services role , then next
On the Uninstall & Reinstall Applications page, click next
On the specify licencing mode page, select the most appropriate option and hit next
On the confirm installation option choose Install
When completed hit restart.
Once restarted, under server manager, in roles, select terminal services and ensure it is all running aok.
Next Step, Install programs, for the purpose of this example I have only installed the 2007 office suite, It is strongly recommended that you do NOT install separate components on separate servers for example, don’t just install word, install the whole office suite.
Next, Ensure that under Remote settings, under system in the control panel that you have allowed for your users.
Now under server manager, under Terminal Services you will now see the Remote Programs tool.
Configure Remote Programs
Go to the remote programs tool, right click and choose
Add Remote Programs...
on the welcome screen click next then point to your previously installed application, in this case I am going to choose Microsoft Powerpoint. Then click Next
on the review settings page, click finish.
You will now see your app in the list (I have a few already there)
Creating an msi or rdp file for you application
Now, there is a new snap in for mmc called remote programs, so go to start, then run and type in remoteprograms.msc
From the right hand side actions pane, select create msi or rdp as applicable, in this case I will choose msi
now click next on the wizard welcome screen.
The next step is to tell it where to save the msi. Note if you plan to deploy through group policy, ensure the right permissions are on the directory where you save the msi to.
click next, now the next screen you need to tell it whether you want a desktop icon, a start menu icon or both and the extension, and hit next.
then hit finish.
Now you can deploy the msi from the location via group policy or via a file share etc.. The extension it will call these files is .rap, meaaning remote access program, but works the same as an msi.
now on your client, this is how it works..
In this case I am just going to double click the msi, and do a standard install (non group policy, however it works exactly the same)
you will now see an icon on the desktop, and if you selected it, an icon under start>programs>Remote Programs
double click and launch the application, it will ask you to provide your login credentials but, bar that, thats it!
and behold, there it is, it appears exactly as if it was running on the clients workstation!
One thing I love about it, is that it acts the same as a normal application whereby you can minimise it, move it around the screen etc.. Citrix Published applications could never do that, they only provided you with a single box in the middle of the screen and you couldnt move it around, so thumbs up microsoft 
I will continue the remainder of this setup in regards to Terminal Services Web Access (TSWEB ) and TsGateway in the next upcoming blogs... stay tuned!
