Windows Server 2012 Terminal Service

Remote Desktop Services (RDS) in Windows Server 2012 is Microsoft’s VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) offering. RDS formerly known as Terminal Services (TS) provides session-based virtual desktops, virtual-machine based virtual desktops and applications to end users. To be able to use these features, you must install Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2012 or 2012 R2. So, in this post I will show steps to install Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2012.

In Windows Server 2008 R2, it was possible to configure an RDS deployment so that users will need to enter their credentials only once when connecting to RemoteApps and hosted desktops. However, this configuration was very cumbersome. In Windows Server 2012 we dramatically simplified this by eliminating the need to use multiple certificates. Terminal Services has been renamed Remote Desktop Services. In Windows Server 2008 R2, all Remote Desktop Services role services have been renamed. The following table lists both the former name and the new name of each Remote Desktop Services role service.

Install Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2012

The diagram below shows the scenario for this post. The network consists of one domain controller and one RDS server.

Log on to RDS server (MBG-RDS01). Open Server Manager. Click Add Roles and Features.

Click Next on Before you begin page. Choose installation type as Remote Desktop Services installation. Click Next.

As you can see below there are two ways of installing RDS services in Server 2012. They are quick or standard. In quick deployment option, three of the required RDS services are installed on single server. The three services are, RD Session Host, RD Connection Broker and RD Web Access. Similarly, the quick installation also creates a collection and publishes some RemoteApp programs. Here, I will install quick deployment option. If you wish to separate each RDS components then you can choose standard deployment option. Choose Quick Start as Deployment Type and click Next.

Deployment Scenario can also be either virtual machine-based or session-based. Here, I will choose session-based. Click Next.

Under Server Selection page, the current server will be automatically added as shown below. Click Next.

Review the installation options. Check, Restart the destination server automatically if required option. Click Deploy.

The installation will now begin. The server will reboot automatically. After the reboot, log back in, you can see the installation has completed successfully. Click Close.

Now, let’s verify the installation. Open Server Manager. Click Remote Desktop Services on the left pane. You can see the RDS deployment Overview as shown below. As we can see, RD Web Access, RD Connection Broker and RD Session Host have been installed. If you want applications or desktop sessions to be accessed from the Internet then you have to install RD Gateway. Similarly, You must install RD Licensing to activate RDS server.

You can also view installed applications. Under Collections, click QuckSessionCollection which is just a collection named created by Quick Deployment installation option. As you can see, calculator, paint and wordpad applications have been published.

To access those applications, open web browser and type URL of RD Web Access server. Type username and password and log on the server as shown below. You can also customize the look of RD Web Access page.

You can view the published applications below. Double-click to open any application. I have double-clicked calculator.

Accept the certificate warning. The application will open as shown below.

So in this way you can install RDS in Windows Server 2012 using Quick Deployment option. You can now install certificates, publish required apps, publish session-based desktops, customize RD Web Access, and so on.

13 Steps total

Step 1: Open Server Manager

Click Manage and Select Add Roles and Features

Step 2: Select Remote Desktop Services installation

Select Remote Desktop Services installation and click next

Step 3: Select Quick Start

Select Quick Start and click next

Step 4: Select Session-based desktop deployment

Select Session-based desktop deployment and click next

Windows server 2012 terminal services 120 days

Step 5: Server Pool

Make sure the server you are installing on is listed in the server pool.

If you are installing on the same server you are physically logged into then the server should be there by default

Click Next

Step 6: Installation Checks

Once the installation checks are completed choose to allow (or not) your server to restart automatically if required as part of the install and click Deploy

Step 7: Wait

Hurry up and wait while your server does the install

Step 8: Success!

Click Close to continue

Step 9: Add TS Licensing

Open Server Manager and go to 'Remote Desktop Services' on the left menu. This will show you the Overview with the status and settings for your terminal server.

If you plan to install the licensing services locally on this server click the RD Licensing icon in the 'deployment overview' window. Then follow the instructions to install the licensing service locally and add your purchased licensing.

I am going to use a licensing server in this example so I won't go into detail on this option

Step 10: Add Licensing Server

If you have more than one TS like I do you will want to use a Licensing server. This allows you to share your client TS licenses across all of your terminal servers making it easier to purchase and manage your license needs.

To uses this option click 'Tasks' and Edit Deployment Properties'

Step 11: Edit Deployment Properties

Click 'RD Licensing'

Select your licensing type, I am using Per User

type in the name of your licensing server and hit add. Your licensing server will be contacted, verified and added to the list.

Click OK

Step 12: Set Who Can Log into this server

Go to System >> Remote Settings >> Select Users and add the Group or Users who will be allowed to connect to this server

Step 13: Verify User Connectivity

Windows 8 Server

At this point users should now be able to log into this server. Test your connectivity out with a regular user account and you should be good to go!

The process as been re-arranged and is very different when compared to previous versions, but once you get a grasp for where things have been moved to it still works very much the same as it always did.

Published: Sep 15, 2015 · Last Updated: Oct 07, 2016

References

RD Licensing Configuration on Windows Server 2012
Windows Server 2012 R2 Remote Desktop Services (RDS) Installation And Publish RemoteApp

17 Comments

Chipotle
mdcarver Jan 29, 2016 at 03:07pm
Thanks, This was exactly what I was looking for. Got us upgraded.
Tabasco
MichaelT@ToE Sep 20, 2016 at 02:45pm
Awesome - so easy to follow. Thanks!!!
Question - is terminal services licensing similar to open licensing in that it's on a trust basis with Microsoft? Don't really see where to add CALs.
Pimiento
danstones Jan 12, 2017 at 01:16am
@MichaelIT@ToE - Hopefully you've found the answer by now, but for future readers...
Absolutely not. Once you install RDS, you are in a 120-day grace period for licensing. After 120 days, if you don’t install a license server, add licenses to it and configure the RDS server to point to the license server your RDS will be unusable until you fix that. When you install licenses, it registers with Microsoft Clearing House.
After step 11 above, if the License Server Manager role is not already installed, it will install it. From there you need to launch the License Server Manager, click the 'Review' button under Configuration column > Click 'Add to Group' > Click OK.
Right-click the server and click Activate > Follow the wizard and fill in the contact and address details from your license order, and add your license details. You should then see them as active. Check the RD License Diagnoser console to confirm that RDS is seeing the licenses.
Pimiento
Schikitar Jan 23, 2017 at 10:05am
Hi, I know this comment is coming a bit late but I've recently attempted this on Windows Server 2016 but it will not allow more than one person to connect at a time;
Remote Desktop Connection
Do you want to allow to connect to this machine?
Click OK to disconnect your session immediately or click Cancel to stay connected.
No action will disconnect your session in 30 seconds.
Did something change between 2012R2 and 2016 - is it possible to have a traditional terminal server anymore?
Poblano
SeansPCPower IT Mar 20, 2017 at 09:00am
This might help.
Open RD Gateway Manager.
Under configuration tasks click View or modify certificate properties.
In the general tab make sure Allow maximum supported simultaneous connections.
Or perhaps there is a limit set. Note the default is 1.
Thai Pepper
camerones Aug 30, 2017 at 11:22pm
well done sir. this was good insight into setting up new features and roles. Straight forward and to the point.
Glad I happened across it.
Pimiento
curtisvaughan Sep 7, 2017 at 04:13am
Ok, I'm having issues. Every time I try to add TS it errors out, all services provided the Server Manager go red and the only way to fix it, as it suggests, is to reboot. I've tried 3 times, hoping maybe something was a fluke. BTW, I have all licenses, etc. But haven't gotten to the point to even apply them. Any ideas?
Mace
molan Sep 7, 2017 at 05:45am
Make sure no group policies are applied to the server by moving it to an OU with no attached policies and then force a gpupdate. Then try the install again.
Certain policies can cause the install to fail.
Also if you have antivirus or other security software installed remove it until after the ts roles are installed.
Pimiento
curtisvaughan Sep 7, 2017 at 01:02pm
Thank you for responding. Ok, I think I've figured out something. I don't have WID installed. That is, it was installed, but because, as I now know, I changed to an AD server that cause WID to be unable to login. So I changed to the login to Administrator. Based on MS articles I should have changed it to login as service. Anyhow, now it's seems to be gone.
However, I got it reinstalled. Switched to login as service. Tried installing TS and it failed.....
After reboot. WID is gone again.
As for your suggestion, I created a new group, made sure it didn't have any policies, moved the server to that group and did a gpupdate. However, user policies still applied! Also turned off the AV app.
Nonetheless, same result.
Pimiento
jacobouaknine Dec 15, 2017 at 12:01pm
Hi All,
Like many I came across this article because of i was looking to understand what changed from 2008 to 2012. I really like the article and thank you very much for taking time to share.
I have a question: we setup Remote Desktop server 2012 (under role based features) instead of this option (your first or second print screen)
Is there a major different? Should role back and set it up this way instead ?
What we are simply trying to do is give external users a Remote session with a familiar windows7 /windows 10 feel so they can work remotely (Quickbooks etc... ).
Right now with the standard Remote Desktop setup, they get the 2012 theme without start menu and can see the admin tools etc... they get frustrated and don’t want to use it.
Any advise or guidance will very much appreciated.
Serrano
ITGirl and Cat5 Feb 6, 2018 at 06:22pm
Why does it always seem like MS can take a 5 second process and make it into 10 min? Thanks for saving me the headache on this one. Due to some Citrix restrictions, I am only just now making 2012 terminal servers for the first time.
Pimiento
jrosique Apr 4, 2018 at 10:09pm
I am struggling to understand this new RDS. All we want is to provide the same RDC experience my users had with 2008 Terminal Server. I have followed Molan's tutorial as well as many others and can't get it to work. At this point, I am willing to pay anyone (out of my pocket) to get it done.
Here's the issue, my 200+ users in three countries are used to open remote desktop connection on their Windows desktops and connect to corporate.mypublicdomain.com which resolved to an NLB cluster of two 2008 R2 servers. In my lab deployment there is no NLB anymore (as Connection Broker should take care of the load balancing) so when I connect (using Remote Desktop) to newcorporate.mypublicdomain.com (resolves to the public IP of the RDS Gateway), I am presented with the 'Only members of the Remote Desktop Users group is allowed' message which makes no sense as I am using my domain admin account for testing.
As I mentioned, at this point, I am ready to pay ayone that makes this thing works. I am tired of roaming the internet searching for answers.
Sonora
Doug7207 Apr 19, 2018 at 08:55pm
I am having the same problem. I just cannot get RDS to work on this brand new server. I am just going to call Microsoft and pay. I cannot afford to dump any more time down this hole. I am glad MS gets rewarded for making their products next to impossible to configure.
Pimiento
spicehead-r081 Nov 2, 2018 at 07:34am
Recently, I tried to install using the way mentioned above but getting an exception/error as mentioned below;
I got Index out of Bound error on the Installation/Deployment Wizard.
Pimiento
spicehead-lw9xi Feb 27, 2019 at 02:54am
i have struggled with this issue myself until i took the time out and figured out what was missing from our friends explanation. even after configuring all the necessary settings which im sure everyone was able to do yet it still did not work because the missing piece is editing the 'allow remote desktop users logon' under group policy. in defining this policy every user with remote access still has to be included here for the remote desktop service to work, even admins.
hope im not too late

Richnin