Server 2008 Terminal Services Part 7: Web Access
Creating RemoteApps with Terminal Services is the easy part. Getting those applications so that the users can actually make use of them is the slightly harder part – unless you use TS Web Access. As we discussed yesterday, there are four mechanisms for getting RemoteApps deployed out to your users. Those are:
- Associate a file name extension to a RemoteApp
- Create and install via an .MSI file
- Create and deploy an .RDP file
- Publish to a web page using TS Web Access
As you can probably see...
...each of these options has both merits and complexities. If you have a systems management system like SMS or System Center Configuration Manager, deploying an .MSI is easy. Just push the install and the application is available on the desktop. A somewhat less elegant solution if you utilize file shares is to store your .RDP files on a central share. Then, point your users to the file share to launch their apps. Creating a file name extension to the RemoteApp will require some scripting and/or Group Policy configuration that can be moderately complex.
Deploying via an installed TS Web Access site happens automatically. Create the RemoteApp and it is immediately and automatically available on the TS Web Access site to all users. Want to eliminate access to the application? Just remove it from TS Web Access.
To create a TS Web Access site, you’ll need to install the TS Web Access Role Service. This is a subcomponent of the Terminal Services Role and has a dependency on the Web Server (IIS) Role for functionality. Once installed, you’ll need to add the computer account of the TS Web Access Server to the TS Web Access Computers Security Group on the Terminal Server. If you’re using a single Terminal Server, you’re essentially complete. You’ll need to refresh the “Distribution with TS Web Access” note to ensure that the TS Web Access Computers group is populated. If you have multiple Terminal Servers, you can publish the RemoteApp information to Active Directory and use Group Policy as your location for storing RemoteApp information for use by multiple TS Web Access servers.
Once done, simply point your users to http://{servername}/ts/en-US/Default.aspx and your applications are ready for action.
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Comments
Can you run a Remote Apps application on a Mac? How well does it work? How do you tell them how to get to the application?
Posted by: Mark | February 28, 2008 10:07 AM
You will. At least, you will if/when the proper client version makes its way to Mac. RemoteApps requires RDC v6.1. Even 6.0 won't work with them. So, until the client is released, you'll still be stuck with the "old" way.
Posted by: Greg Shields | February 28, 2008 10:22 AM
I am trying to access TS web Access from outside(external)through internet, it says remote computer could not find.Please note that I am able login and i can able see published applications also. But iside lAN everything is working fine. I am using single terminal server. Any idea why it is happening?
Posted by: Muthukumar | August 11, 2008 4:48 AM
Likely the problem is DNS resolution. Can you successfully nslookup the externally-accessible FQDN for the TSWA server from outside? If not, then that's the source of your "not found" error.
Posted by: Greg Shields | August 11, 2008 10:40 AM
Can you run a TS Web Access page by user ?
Thank's
Posted by: DUVAL | September 3, 2008 1:23 PM
Not sure what you mean. You cannot have the TS Web Access page display icons that are approved for particular users. That's a limitation of the interface and something you only get with Citrix Web Access.
Posted by: Greg Shields | September 3, 2008 1:51 PM