Step by Step Server 2016 Remote Desktop Services QuickStart Deployment #RDS #VDI #RDP #RemoteApp

Setting up a RDS  Farm is not that hard but anyway I created a step by step guide to build a Windows Server 2016 Remote Desktop Services deployment.

there is a new feature in the Windows Server 2016 RDS  : Full OpenGL support with RDS for VDI scenarios.

And Yes you can use the Quickstart but I’m not using this in this demo setup. I tried to do a complete setup,but doing this I noticed that I’m constantly expanding this demo with new options so. I’ll keep this pure to the setup and some PowerShell basics.

Quick Start is an option in RDS deployment during the process of adding roles and features with Windows Server 2012 Service Manager. It dramatically simplifies the deployment process and shortens go-to-market while still providing the ability to add additional RDS servers as needed. The abstraction formed by RDWA, RDCB, and RDSH offers such elegancy that the Quick Start process integrates the three and deploy all to one server in a process rather uneventful. For For prototyping a centralized remove access environment, demonstrating and testing a VDI solution, or simply building a study lab for self-training, Quick Start is a fast track for getting RDS up and running in a matter of minutes. – See more at: http://blogs.technet.com/b/yungchou/archive/2013/02/07/remote-desktop-services-rds-quick-start-deployment-for-remoteapp-windows-server-2012-style.aspx

As a lot of customers are using Citrix just to host some applications and never heard od RDS paying big license cost. as in the options is already build-in

My DC is running the License services and this is also my broker server.

Doing this setup is in two parts One add Roles and Second  the RDS setup.

Adding the Roles to my DC and adding all the servers in the all server filter in the server manager of the DC.

Selecting the Server that holds the Remote Desktop Session host ( mvprds01 )

Selecting and installing the role. I did this in the menu but you can also do this in the configuration. and the role will be installed.

Now that the roles are installed there is an extra option in server manager <> Remote Desktop Services.

To configure Windows Server 2016 Remote Desktop Services you have to pick in the add roles and features the lower option Remote Desktop Services Installation.

As you can see a quick Start option is here but we are not using this. and check the standard deployment. now you need to configure all the stuff.

But for a quick demo you can pick the quick start option.

When using the VDI option you will need a machine that is running Hyper-v !. In my setup I’ll use the Session based desktop deployment.

A quick overview of the roles that I’ll need for this deployment.

Selecting the RD Connection Broker Server

Selecting the RD Web Access Server

Selecting the RD Session host Servers ( in this case only 1 )

The roles are getting configured and if needed deployed to the servers. I already did this but there is a check mark to deploy the Roles

Now that all the roles are installed in server manager you can go to the Remote Desktop Services

In the overview you can see what is deployed and what options you can do. but in every task pulldown item there are the same options.

 

I installed all my options and I’m ready to create a Collection.

Create a Collection.

In the task menu I choose the Create Session Collection,

Just Name it

Choose a RD Session host Servers

What users may access this collection. I’ll pick all domain users.

 

User profile disks offer several advantages:

• Configuration and deployment is simpler than roaming profiles or folder redirection.
• User profiles can be maintained even on pooled virtual desktops that get rolled back after logoff.
• Logon and logoff times are reduced.
• Previously, profiles could be corrupted if used simultaneously on multiple computers. User profile disks are specific to the collection, so they can’t be used on multiple computers simultaneously.
• Administrators can have granular control of exactly which locations get saved to the virtual hard disk (VHDX).
• User profile disks can be stored on Server Message Block (SMB) shares, cluster shared volumes, SANs, or local storage.
• In pooled virtual desktop collections, user profile disks work with virtual machines running both Windows 8 and Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 (SP1).

Some things to remember about user profile disks:

• User profile disks are available only in pooled virtual desktop collections and session collections—not in personal virtual desktop collections.
• Share permissions are automatically set up by the management tools.
• Use Server Manager or Windows PowerShell to manage user profile disks.
• User profile disks are for a single collection only. A user connecting to two different collections will have two separate profiles. If you want to synchronize settings, refer to Microsoft User Experience Virtualization.

 

When Creating the collection we can make a start for publishing applications.

Now that the Application Collection is ready we can add applications to this collection. When selection the task <> publish remoteapp programs or in the hyperlink. there will be a discovery off all the apps on the RD Session host Servers in this case the mvprds01.mvp.local

 

But sure you can apps that are not discovered just press add

 

and  press Publish and there is the APP

When Logon to the Portal you can see the RemoteApp

Changing the Icon of the RemoteApp can be done by PowerShell or copy and replace. On the RDS Broker server. goto the path :

C:\Windows\RemotePackages\CPubFarms\Application_1\CPubRemoteApps

all the RemoteApps are there and can be changed here.

OR change the ICON with the shell23.dll with powershell

To change the Icon

The Icon Index for this interface works top to bottom, starting with 0. So count the rows until you see your desired icon, multiply this by 4, subtract 1, and count up to your desired icon. The Icon Index for the Windows Update icon turns out to be 46.

Type one of the following commands in the Powershell box:

Get-RDRemoteApp -Alias "clustermvp" | Set-RDRemoteApp -IconPath "c:\windows\system32\shell32.dll" -IconIndex 46

Creating Subfolders in the Application

Using the The RemoteDesktop PowerShell module we’re also able to add subfolders in RD Web Access and “move” specific Remote Apps to specific folders.

In order to do so we use the same command as above, Set-RDRemoteApp. For example, to create a subfolder called “My tools” and move the Remote App MSpaint to that folder you can use the following command:

Set-RDRemoteApp -CollectionName “Application 1” -Alias clustermvp -FolderName “My tools” -ConnectionBroker mvpdc01.mvp.local

 

Creating File Extensions

A common setting is configuring the file extensions for Remote Apps. Inside the ServerManager GUI, file extensions are configured as a property of a RemoteApp, therefore you would expect that setting a file extension using PowerShell should be done using the command Set-RDRemoteApp. Instead, we need to use a different command called Set-RDFileTypeAssociation.
For example if we want to add the file extension .pdf or .txt to a Remote App Acrobat Reader or Wordpad we can use the following command:

Set-RDFileTypeAssociation –CollectionName “Application 1” -AppAlias AcrobatReader -FileExtension .pdf -IsPublished $true –ConnectionBroker mvpdc01.mvp.local

More about using Powershell to manage RemoteApp programs.

Get-RDRemoteApp (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj215454.aspx) is used to list properties for RemoteApps.
Example:

Get-RDRemoteApp -alias “wordpad” | fl

Set-RDRemoteApp (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj215494.aspx) is used to set properties for RemoteApps.
Example:

Set-RDRemoteApp -Alias “wordpad” -DisplayName “WordPad – Renamed”

New-RDRemoteApp (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj215450.aspx) is used to create a new RemoteApp in a certain collection.
Example:

New-RDRemoteApp -CollectionName “RemoteApps” -Alias “regedit” -DisplayName “RegEdit” -FolderName “Admin Tools” -FilePath “C:\Windows\regedit.exe”

Remove-RDRemoteApp (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj215493.aspx) is used to remove a RemoteApp.
Example:

Set-RDRemoteApp -CollectionName “RemoteApps” -Alias “wordpad”

Get-RDAvailableApp (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj215457.aspx) is used to list available applications to publish in a collection.
Example:

Get-RDAvailableApp -CollectionName “RemoteApps”

Get-RDFileTypeAssociation (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj215461.aspx) lists the filetype association(s) for a certain application.
Example:

Get-RDFileTypeAssociation -AppAlias “wordpad”

Set-RDFileTypeAssociation (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj215459.aspx) is used to set the filetype association(s) for a certain application.
Example:

Set-RDFileTypeAssociation -CollectionName "Application 1" -AppAlias "wordpad" -FileExtension ".txt" -IsPublished $True -IconPath "%ProgramFiles%\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe" -IconIndex 0

 

Happy RDS clustering

Robert Smit

@clusterMVP

https://robertsmit.wordpress.com