Remote Desktop Services
Remote Desktop Services, or "RDS" (formerly known as Terminal Services), is the collection of services that allow
multiple remote users to simultaneously execute applications on a Windows server within their own
respective protected environments so the applications don't interfere with one another. In fact, the
users aren't even aware of one another at all. The user interface is separated from the application
execution environment - the remote client device sends keystrokes and mouse movements to the server,
and the server sends screen updates back to the remote client device.
Today, with Windows Server 2008 R2, we can even deliver a remote desktop that looks and feels like a
Windows 7 desktop, even though it's running on a shared server operating system.
Citrix XenApp does not replace RDS - it extends and enhances it. RDS is
at the heart of every XenApp deployment, including our own Moose Logic Cloud Desktop Service.
Of course, the question that is always asked - since the days of NT4 Terminal Server Edition - is, "Do I
really need to add XenApp to my environment, or can I just run RDS by itself?" The answer is a definite
"maybe." With every Microsoft release, RDS gets better. These days, it's pretty darned good - so it
depends on your business need: What applications do you want to deploy? To what kinds of client devices?
Where are the clients located, and how much bandwidth do you have between those locations and the data
center where the servers are located? Are they connecting across your LAN or private WAN, or do you
need to be able to connect across the public Internet?
Moose Logic has been working with this technology ever since it came into existence, so if you want to
have a business discussion about what value it can bring to your organization, if you need some help
with a deployment or upgrade, or if you'd just like another set of eyes to audit your existing systems,
give us a call.
