Checklist: Terminal Server Installation Prerequisites

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

A terminal server is the server that hosts Windows-based programs or the full Windows desktop for Terminal Services clients. Users can connect to a terminal server to run programs, to save files, and to use network resources on that server. Users can access a terminal server by using Remote Desktop Connection or by using TS RemoteApp.

This checklist provides tasks that an administrator should perform before installing and configuring a terminal server.

Note

Installing a terminal server on an Active Directory domain controller is not recommended. For more information, see Installing Terminal Server on a Domain Controller.

Task Reference

Determine if you need a terminal server.

To allow remote connections for administrative purposes only, you do not have to install a terminal server.

For more information about remote connections for administrative purposes, see Using Remote Desktop.

Review licensing requirements for a terminal server.

Each user or computing device that connects to a terminal server must have a valid Terminal Services client access license (TS CAL).

A terminal server running Windows Server 2008 can only communicate with a Terminal Services license server running Windows Server 2008 and the license server must have Windows Server 2008 TS CALs installed.

For more information about licensing requirements for Terminal Services, see the Terminal Services page on the Windows Server 2008 TechCenter (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=73931).

Decide which programs you want to host on the terminal server.

You should install the Terminal Server role service on the computer before you install any programs that you want to make available to users. If you install the Terminal Server role service on a computer that already has programs installed, some of the existing programs may not work correctly in a multiple user environment. Uninstalling and then reinstalling the affected programs may resolve these issues.

For more information, see Install Programs on a Terminal Server.

Review information about:

  • Hardware requirements.

  • Capacity and scaling.

See the Terminal Services page on the Windows Server 2008 TechCenter (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=73931).

Determine if you need to deploy a load-balanced terminal server farm.

See the Terminal Services page on the Windows Server 2008 TechCenter (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=73931).

Determine the Terminal Services licensing mode that the terminal server will use.

The Terminal Services licensing mode configured on a terminal server must match the type of TS CALs available on the Terminal Services license server.

For more information about types of TS CALs, see the Terminal Services page on the Windows Server 2008 TechCenter (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=73931).

Determine how the terminal server will discover a license server.

A terminal server must be able to contact a Terminal Services license server to request TS CALs for users or computing devices that are connecting to the terminal server.

For more information about license server discovery, see the Terminal Services page on the Windows Server 2008 TechCenter (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=73931).

Determine which users will be able to remotely connect to the terminal server.

The Remote Desktop Users group on a terminal server is used to give users and groups permission to log on remotely to a terminal server.

For more information, see Configure the Remote Desktop Users Group.

Determine if the terminal server will require Network Level Authentication.

You can enhance terminal server security by providing user authentication earlier in the connection process when a client connects to a terminal server. This early user authentication method is referred to as Network Level Authentication.

For more information, see Configure the Network Level Authentication Setting for a Terminal Server.

Review information about Windows Firewall.

The installation of the Terminal Server role service changes the configuration of Windows Firewall.

For more information, see Terminal Services and Windows Firewall.