Remote Desktop is a client/server application that enables a user on
one computer to log on to another computer and perform virtually any
task possible from the local console. The Remote Desktop server capability is built into most Windows operating systems, and any Windows computer can run a Remote Desktop client program.
Note
All the business-oriented versions of Windows operating systems
include Remote Desktop server capabilities, including Windows 7
Professional, Windows Vista Business, and Windows XP Professional. The
Home-based operating systems in the Windows 7, Windows Vista, and
Windows XP lines do not include the server capability, but they do have a
Remote Desktop client.
As the name implies, the Remote
Desktop client functions strictly as a terminal that controls the
activities of the server from a distance. The client computer runs a
program called Remote Desktop Connection (RDC),
which sends keystrokes and mouse commands to the server and receives
output in the form of display elements. When you log on to a computer
using Remote Desktop
and start an application, the application actually runs on the server
using the server’s processor, memory, and other resources. In the same
way, configuring system settings with Remote Desktop means that you are reconfiguring the server, not the client.
Remote Desktop is a limited version of Remote
Desktop Services, a Windows Server role that enables multiple users to
access applications running on a server instead of installing them on a
local drive. Remote Desktop Services requires the purchase of additional
Client Access Licenses (CALs) and cannot run on a Windows SBS 2011
primary server, but the Remote Desktop version is operable on all
servers without additional licensing, although it is limited to two
connections.
Note
To use Remote Desktop Services on a computer running Windows Server 2008 R2, you must install the Remote
Desktop Services role, but the Remote Desktop server capabilities are
available by default, even on computers that do not have the role
installed. This means that you can connect to your Windows SBS 2011
primary server using Remote Desktop, even though you have not installed
(and should not install) the Remote Desktop Services role.
To administer a computer running Windows SBS 2011 or Windows Server 2008 R2 using Remote Desktop, you must complete two tasks:
By default, computers running Windows Server 2008 R2 have their
Remote Desktop server functions disabled. This is to prevent access by
unauthorized users before all the computer’s security precautions are in
place. However, because the Windows SBS 2011 installation process
secures the computer, the setup program enables Remote Desktop on the
primary server. To enable Remote Desktop manually on a server running
Windows Server 2008 R2, use this procedure:
-
Log on to your server, using an account with network Administrator privileges. The Initial Configuration Tasks window appears.
-
In the Customize this server section, click Enable Remote Desktop. The System Properties sheet appears.
Tip
If the server is a domain controller, the Server Manager Console
appears instead, and you can open the System Properties sheet by
clicking Configure Remote Desktop in the server summary section of the Server Manager Console.
-
In the Remote Desktop section, select the Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop (less secure).
A Remote Desktop message box appears, informing you that the system
will open a firewall exception for Remote Desktop communications.
-
Click OK. Then click Select users. The Remote Desktop Users dialog box appears.
-
Click Add. The Select Users dialog box appears.
-
In the Enter the object names to select text box, type the names of the user accounts and groups to which you want to grant Remote Desktop access, and then click OK. The users and groups you specify appear in the Remote Desktop Users dialog box.
Note
The Remote Desktop Users dialog box adds the objects you specify to
the Remote Desktop Users local group on the server, which enables them
to access the server from a remote location. Administrators have Remote
Desktop access by default; you do not have to add them to the Remote Desktop Users group.
-
Click OK to close the Remote Desktop Users dialog box.
-
Click OK to close the System Properties sheet.
Using the Remote Desktop Connection Client
Once you have enabled Remote Desktop on the computer that functions as the server, you can run the Remote Desktop Connection program on the client and establish a connection to it, using these steps:
-
Log on to a Windows 7 workstation using a domain user account.
-
Click Start. Then click All Programs > Accessories > Remote Desktop Connection The Remote Desktop Connection dialog box appears.
-
In the Computer text box, type the name or IP address of the computer to which you want to connect.
-
Click Options. The dialog box expands.
-
Click the Display tab.
-
Adjust the Remote Desktop size slider to a value smaller than that of your current screen resolution.
-
Click Connect. A Windows Security dialog box appears.
-
In the User name and password text boxes, type the credentials for an account that has Remote Desktop connection privileges on the server and click OK. A Remote Desktop window appears, containing the server’s desktop.
At this point, any activity you perform within the Remote Desktop window is taking place on the remote computer, using that computer’s resources. The RDC client program uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)
to send your keystrokes and mouse movements to the server and receive
the screen display elements that appear on your monitor. Closing the Remote Desktop window disconnects the client from the server.
