Hi there,
I am configuring a new environment on Windows Server 2012. I would just like to discuss the correct/best practice for setting up a terminal server alongside a Windows Server Essentials 2012 Domain
We have the following setup
Windows Server 2012 STD Hyper - V Host, with two guests
Guest 1 Windows Server 2012 STD (Windows Server Essentials Experience Role)
Guest 2 Windows Server 2012 STD (Remote Desktop Services)
In my experience, such as in a SBS2011 / Server 2008 R2 RDS environment, there are specific requirements for correctly setting up for operating a TS/RDS alongside an SBS. Namely that the SBS needs to hold specific roles to function correctly, including the RD gateway role.
Given the setup above, whats changed in server 2012? How should this be configured and in what order to ensure that it functions correctly, and so that users can access remote desktop sessions on the terminal server by using the RWW website operated by the 'Essentials Experience' component of the Windows Server 2012 Standard installation.
For your reference, we have done the following so far, but please consider your answers from a best practices perspective rather then what needs to be done to finalize my current configuration.
1. Install WS12STD on physical hardware and assigned Hyper V role
2. Install 2 virtual hyper-v instances of WS12STD
3. Added Essentials Experience role to Guest 1 and completed Essentials Configuration wizard (which setup domain)
4. Joined Guest 2 to the domain created by the Essentials Wizard. We initially joined the domain via the standard manual means (right click computer -> Properties -> Computer Name). Domain join was successful but the server did not show up in the essentials dashboard under devices so we went back and ran the Connect wizard as if it were a client computer not a server. Not really sure if this was the right thing to do, in the past you added the server to an SBS domain manually, then moved the server to the SBSServers OU under the Domain Users and Computers snap in, after which it would show up in the SBS Console, this didnt seem to happen with WS2012. The connect wizard went smoothly without complaints and the server showed up in the Essentials Dashboard right away including information on update statuses ETC.
5. Configured Guest 2 for RDS using RDS Quick Setup wizard, we did not add it as a role via standard means as research indicated that the new simplified management snap in (tile?) would not work if we did this. Instead we selected the second option in the"Add Roles" wizard titled "Remote Desktop Services. We selected Quick Setup and we chose Session-Based configuration
6. After the RDS wizard was completed, we recieved notification regarding the licensing server ETC. Normal so far. Under the new windows server 2012 management tile(?) for RDS we can see the map of the "Deployment Overview". It has large + icons next to RD Gateway and RD Licensing, whilst RD Web Access, RD Connection Broken, RD VIrtualization Host, and RD Session Host have icons.
So far, this seems good. So if nothing above is magorly wrong, whats next?