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First Experiences using Windows Terminal Services on Server 2003

First Experiences using Windows Terminal Services on Server 2003. Alberto Pace for the IS group. What are “Terminal Services”. Alias “Remote Desktop” Allows a remote windows session from a computer to another computer, not necessarily running Windows

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First Experiences using Windows Terminal Services on Server 2003

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  1. First Experiences using Windows Terminal Services on Server 2003 Alberto Pace for the IS group

  2. What are “Terminal Services” • Alias “Remote Desktop” • Allows a remote windows session from a computer to another computer, not necessarily running Windows • Multi user environment supported in Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2003 Server

  3. Introduces duality on something that is today very successful Windows / Mac / Linux Client with X-terminal software Linux / Mac / Windows Client with remote desktop software cernts.cern.ch (Windows Terminal Service) lxplus.cern.ch (Linux PLUS – Public Logon Unix Service)

  4. Motivation • Reduces (but does not replace) the need for … • VMWare • Virtual PCs and windows emulators • Multi boot installation • … • “does not replace” because network access is required

  5. Terminal Service Pilot at CERN • Approved by CERN Management on June 2003 • 3 standard computers • desktop 2.4 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 40 GB mirrored disk • Usual scale out architecture • Built-in load balancing • Supported freeware clients • Linux Redhat, Solaris being tested • Mac OS X • All recent Windows versions (98, Me, 2000, XP) • Thin clients simple to install & use • Internet Explorer 4 is enough on Windows • Simpler than the current ongoing effort on supporting Hummingbird Exceed

  6. Options that were dropped • Platform-independent clients • HOBLink JWT Java applet, http://www.hob.de/www_us/ • Not freeware, License cost prohibitive • Citrix ICA (http://www.citrix.com/) • Uniquely X11 based • No additional client software required on UNIX clients • Performance issue • Complex Licensing mode

  7. CERN WTS Web site • Entry point to the service, including Web Access http://cern.ch/wts

  8. Remote Desktop Web Connection

  9. Linux clients • rdesktop • freeware client • www.rdesktop.org • Source available • Compiled on Redhat standard IT version and Mandrake 9.0 • tsclient • freeware front-end for rdesktop (XP look) • www.gnomepro.com/tsclient

  10. Linux Example

  11. Macintosh Example

  12. Few highlights of the service

  13. Copy / Cut / Paste • The Windows Terminal Service provide clipboard sharing, allowing you to cut and paste from programs running in your Remote Desktop session to programs running on your local computer and vice-versa. • This may be unavailable on some versions of the client software being used

  14. Access local files from the remote session • Your local drives (disc, Floppy, CD-ROM) can be made available to the remote session • The availability of this feature depends on the client software being used • This option must be activated on the client software • Within a Remote Desktop session, your local drives appear in Windows Explorer as <driveletter>\ on tsclient • To access local drives from a command line or a run line in a remote session, type \\tsclient\<driveletter> • See examples next page

  15. Access local files from the remote session

  16. Printing to your local printer from a remote session • Printer redirection routes printing jobs from the terminal server or Remote Desktop computer to a printer attached to your local computer • The availability of this feature depends on the client software being used

  17. Options (1) • Every client software has several options that can be configured • You may want to configure these options depending on the speed of the internet connection you have

  18. The size and colour depth of your remote desktop may also have a performance impact Options (2)

  19. Local resources configuration Option (3)

  20. The service

  21. Application proposed in the pilot • Core set of applications for the pilot phase • Microsoft Office XP with Frontpage • Office XP Professional Multilanguage Pack (French, German, Italian) • Visual Studio .NET Professional • Adobe Acrobat 5.05 (furnished with Acrobat Distiller, PDFMaker, Adobe PostScript Printer Driver) • Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.05 • OpenAfs 1.2.10 (in testing phase) • Microsoft MS Project 98 • Putty 0.53b • ActiveState Perl 5.6.1 • Python 2.2.3 • CERN Client Printing Package • CERN Phonebook 2000 • Zephyr • Symantec Antivirus Client • Maintained by the Internet Services group (in the IT Division) • Endless requests to add additional software • Some software had problems and will not be made available in the future service

  22. Usage of the pilot • More than 220 different persons have been using it • Various motivations • I am on Linux/Macintosh and I need access to Windows applications • I am not at CERN and I want access to the CERN environment • I do not have that particular application installed, I cannot install it, but I need it. • License reasons • Complex installations centrally managed • I have a slow computer and I want a faster one

  23. Source: Rafal Otto Pilot usage figures (Jun-Sep) • Total Connection Time 7721 Hours 322 days (almost one year) • Number of Connections: 1782 • Users who logged in more then once: 131

  24. Pilot usage Figures (Jun-Sep) Week number Source: Rafal Otto

  25. Discussion with user representatives • A large majority of delegates requested to continue and extend the service • Continue the standard service for the core applications • A subset of the existing one • Envisage the possibility of having instances of TS nodes centrally maintained where a particular service provider could install his own software • LHCB build service • AB/CO controls applications, with managed JVM • ST/MA Asset Tracking and Maintenance Management • EP/SFT for several custom applications • IT/PS for some engineering applications • TH to read mail attachments for non-windows users

  26. The proposed “standard Service” • Core set of applications for the standard service • Microsoft Office XP with Frontpage • Office XP Professional Multilanguage Pack (French, German, Italian) • Adobe Acrobat, Distiller, PDFMaker, Adobe PostScript Printer Driver • Putty 0.53b • CERN Client Printing Package • CERN Phonebook 2000 • Zephyr • Symantec Antivirus Client • To be discussed • ActiveState Perl • Python • Visual Studio .NET • OpenAfs • OpenAFS has been one of the most welcome application but it had several technical issues • Microsoft MS Project 98 / MS Project 2002

  27. Cost estimation • Licenses • Apart from the server license, no software cost for clients accessing WTS from a CERN PC (Windows and Linux) • CERN PCs have all the basic Windows License • We’ll need to buy CAL for Macintosh and Solaris clients • Only few kchf • Hardware • For the Standard Service, we could start with 3 nodes • 30 – 40 kchf • Manpower • Operation, support, cloning of the service won’t be free • Current estimation: 0.5 – 1 FTE

  28. Conclusion • A step forward in Linux / Windows / Mac integration • Freeware clients exists for all platforms • (except legacy Mac OS 8-9) • STOP or GO decision in November, based on manpower cost • LONG TERM COMMITMENT of 0.5 – 1 FTE

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