Remote Desktop Services

Remote Desktop Services

  • Remote desktop services (RDS) is a technology that enables users to connect to a remote computer's desktop and programs over a network connection. This allows users to work on a laptop far from the desktop as long as they have internet access and the right log-in credentials. With this technology, an IT department can manage, troubleshoot, update, and maintain various computers remotely and centrally.

  • RDS technology uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) created by Microsoft for remote connections. This protocol is secured by encrypting the connection using Transport Layer Security (TLS) or the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Typically, authentication is done using Windows log-in credentials or additional authentication techniques like RADIUS or smart cards. RDS also supports Network Level Authentication (NLA), which requires authentication before a remote user can establish a session. This helps protect the server from malicious or unauthorized access.

    You can also implement firewall rules to protect users from unauthorized access and block incoming RDP traffic from untrusted sources. It's considered a best practice to implement multifactor authentication and update the system with the latest security patches.

  • Several RDS components work together to enable remote access to desktops and applications:

    • A remote desktop session host (RDSH) is a server that hosts Windows sessions and applications for remote users. This is where the remote desktop and hosted applications run.
    • Remote desktop gateway (RDG) servers provide secure access to RDS resources for users outside the corporate network. This ensures that only authorized users can access RDS resources.
    • Remote desktop web access (RDWA) is an RDS feature that allows users to access RDS resources using a web browser. This can be useful for users who need to access their work computer from a public computer or device without RDC client software installed.
    • Remote desktop licensing (RD licensing) is the service that manages the RDS client access licenses (CALs) for an RDS deployment. This service ensures that the authorized users and the authorized number of users who can access the RDS resources are within limits set by the IT department.
    • Remote desktop connection (RDC) client software connects to an RDS server. It's available on Windows, macOS, and mobile devices.
    • RemoteApp is an RDS feature that allows users to run a specific application on the remote server while it appears to be running on their local computer.
    • RemoteFX is a set of technologies that enhance the visual experience of RDS. It supports 3D graphics and improved video playback.
    • Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) establishes the remote connection between the client and the server.

  • With RDS, multiple users can remotely connect to a server and simultaneously access the same applications and data. It is, therefore, primarily utilized for remote access. VDI enables the deployment of multiple virtualized desktop instances on a single server. Consequently, it's mainly employed in centralized desktop environment management.

  • RDS monitoring refers to the monitoring of the performance and health of an RDS environment. It includes tracking the servers' performance, the number of active sessions, and the environment's overall health.

    Some everyday RDS monitoring tasks include the following:

    • Tracking server resource usage (such as CPU, memory, and disk)
    • Monitoring network traffic to and from RDS servers
    • Tracking the number of active sessions and users
    • Identifying and troubleshooting issues with RDS services
    • Auditing user activity
    • Collecting performance data for capacity planning

    These monitoring tasks are performed using native Windows tools, third-party monitoring software, and cloud-based monitoring services provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

  • Microsoft offers several built-in monitoring tools for RDS monitoring. Some examples of these tools include the following:

    • Remote Desktop Services Manager: This allows administrators to view and manage active RDS sessions and view information about RDS servers and users.
    • Event Viewer: This tool provides detailed information about events that occur on an RDS server, such as system errors and warning messages.
    • Performance Monitor: This tool allows administrators to track various performance metrics for an RDS server, such as CPU usage, memory usage, and network traffic.
    • Task Manager: This tool provides real-time information about the processes and services running on an RDS server and resource usage.
    • Remote Desktop Services Diagnostic tool: This is used to quickly gather information about the RDS environment and to troubleshoot and diagnose problems.

  • RDS enhanced monitoring is a feature of Windows Server that provides detailed performance metrics and log files for RDS sessions and infrastructure. This feature allows administrators to monitor the performance of the underlying hardware, operating system, and remote desktop session host (RDSH) servers.

    With RDS enhanced monitoring, administrators can access detailed metrics such as CPU utilization, memory usage, disk I/O, and network traffic for each RDSH server. It also includes metrics for the RDS sessions, such as the number of active sessions, the number of disconnected sessions, and the amount of storage used. RDS enhanced monitoring also provides detailed log files, which are used for troubleshooting and identifying performance bottlenecks.

    RDS enhanced monitoring can be enabled and configured through the Remote Desktop Services Manager, Group Policy, or PowerShell. Once enabled, the metrics and log files can be viewed and analyzed in real-time. You can also export to a central log management system for longer-term storage and analysis.

  • Some essential metrics to monitor include server resource usage, active sessions, active users, RDS host server availability, RD licensing server availability, error and warning messages, network connectivity, and remote desktop gateway connectivity. In addition, you might want to monitor the user log-on time, Remote Fx round-trip time and bandwidth, application launch time, user input delay, and resource usage metrics per session, such as CPU, memory, and IOPS for each session, application, and server. All these can provide detailed insights into the performance and user experience of the RDS environment. Moreover, these metrics can help you identify bottlenecks for quick troubleshooting and optimization.

  • Several common errors can occur when using RDS. We can categorize these errors as remote desktop services manager errors, RemoteApp and desktop connections errors, and remote desktop services errors.

    Remote Desktop Services Manager errors

    "The request to control another session remotely was denied." This error occurs when the user is not a member of the remote desktop users group or the administrators group. To resolve this, add the user to the appropriate group.
    "The client could not connect to the remote computer." This error can occur if remote desktop services is not running on the remote computer, the remote computer is not reachable, or the remote computer's firewall is blocking the connection. To resolve this, ensure that remote desktop services is running. It's also important to check the network connectivity and firewall settings.
    "The remote session was disconnected because there are no Remote Desktop License Servers available to provide a license." This error can occur if there are no remote desktop licensing servers or if the remote desktop licensing servers are not configured properly. To resolve this, check the configuration of the remote desktop licensing servers and make sure a license exists.

    RemoteApp and Desktop Connections errors

    "Your RemoteApp and Desktop Connections feed couldn't be reached." This error occurs if there is an issue with the RemoteApp and desktop connections feed or a problem with the user's Internet connection. To resolve this, check the RemoteApp and desktop connections feed. Also, verify that the user's internet connection is working correctly.

    Remote Desktop Services errors

    "The remote session was disconnected because the local computer client access license could not be upgraded or renewed." This error can occur if there are no available remote desktop services client access licenses (RDS CALs) or if the RDS CALs are not configured properly. To resolve this, check the configuration of the RDS CALs and ensure that there are enough available licenses.

  • Although RDS technology can be used for connection to remote computers, organizations typically use dedicated remote desktop software that offers a much broader set of features for monitoring, managing and troubleshooting remote machines or supporting the end users remotely.

    With remote desktop software, technicians can not only connect to remote computers, but leverage extended functionality such as chat with the end user, file transfer, support for multiple screens, access to powered-off/sleeping computers, and much more. Compared to RDS, remote access is not limited to Windows but supports Linux and macOS machines.

    In addition to remote access, it includes remote administration tools such as monitoring system performance, starting/stopping/restarting services or processes, viewing event logs, or managing local users, disks, shares, and peripherals.

    This post was written by Ifeanyi Benedict Iheagwara. Ifeanyi is a data analyst and Power Platform developer who is passionate about technical writing, contributing to open source organizations, and building communities. Ifeanyi writes about machine learning, data science, and DevOps, and enjoys contributing to open-source projects and the global ecosystem in any capacity.

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