Archive for the ‘Windows cloud services’ Category

Deploying Remote Desktop Connection Broker with High Availability

 

This guide is intended for IT professionals, and tells how to configure Remote Desktop Connection Broker in a failover cluster. The configuration provides users with access to personal virtual desktops or virtual machines in a virtual desktop pool through RemoteApp and Desktop Connection

A failover cluster is a group of independent computers that work together to increase the availability of applications and services. The clustered servers (called nodes) are connected by physical cables and by software. If one of the cluster nodes fails, another node begins to provide service (a process known as failover). Users experience a minimum of disruptions in service. This guide describes the steps for configuring Remote Desktop Connection Broker (RD Connection Broker) in a failover cluster, as part of a configuration that provides users with access to personal virtual desktops or virtual machines in a virtual desktop pool through RemoteApp and Desktop Connection. As you work with the configuration in this guide, you can also learn about failover clusters and familiarize yourself with the Failover Cluster Manager snap-in in Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise or Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter.

Deploying Remote Desktop Connection Broker with High Availability  click here: Start download

Failover of clustered RD Connection Broker

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Servers providing a virtual desktop

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1. The user requests a connection to a virtual desktop, either a personal virtual desktop or one from a virtual desktop pool.

2. The RD Gateway receives the request.

3. The RD Gateway sends the request to a virtual machine redirector (that is, RD Session Host running in virtual machine redirection mode). The virtual machine redirector informs RD Connection Broker, and then waits for the IP address of a virtual machine.

4. RD Connection Broker requests information about a virtual machine from the RD Virtualization Host.

5. RD Connection Broker receives information about a virtual machine and then provides that information to the virtual machine redirector.

6. The virtual machine redirector communicates through the RD Gateway, providing the client with the IP address and connection information for a virtual desktop.

7. The client connects to a virtual desktop.

8. The virtual desktop is displayed on the client.

The following illustration shows the same sequence of events occurring despite the failure of one node of the cluster. Because a second cluster node is still running, it can respond to client requests as they occur.

Figure 3   Servers providing a virtual desktop after a failure

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Cluster Screen Shots

 

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RDP Connection Options

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Additional Links

· Remote Desktop Services (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=154440)

· What’s New in Remote Desktop Services (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=185916)

· Install the RD Session Host Role Service (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=185917)

· About Dedicated Farm Redirection and Virtual Machine Redirection (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=185918)

· Remote Desktop Connection Broker (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=185919)

· Verify Connection broker cluster configuration (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=188508)

· Remote Desktop Services Script Repository (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=190312)

Hyper-V Best Practices Analyzer is now available for Windows Server 2008 R2

In Windows management, best practices are guidelines to configure a server as defined by experts. For example, it is considered a best practice for most server technologies to keep open ports that are required for the technologies to communicate with other networked computers and also block unused ports. Whereas best practice violations, even very important best practice violations, are not necessarily problematic, they indicate server configurations that can result in poor performance, poor reliability, unexpected conflicts, increased security risks, or other potential problems.

Windows Server 2008 R2 Feature Components Poster

What is Best Practices Analyzer?

Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) is a server management tool that is available in Windows Server 2008 R2. BPA reports best practice violations to the administrator after BPA scans the roles that are installed on Windows Server 2008 R2. Administrators can filter out unnecessary information or exclude results from BPA reports. Administrators can also perform BPA tasks with either the Server Manager GUI, or Windows PowerShell cmdlets. For more information about Best Practices Analyzer and scans, see the Best Practices Analyzer Help.

 

The update described in this article contains best practice benchmarks against a computer that is running Hyper-V on a computer that is running Windows Server 2008 R2. After this update is installed on a server that is running Windows Server 2008 R2, you can run a series of Best Practices Analyzer scans on Hyper-V that will help you to bring the role into compliance with best practices.
You can use Hyper-V Best Practices Analyzer to scan a server that is running the Hyper-V role, and help identify configurations that do not comply with best practices for this role. BPA scans the configuration of the physical computer, the virtual machines, and other resources such as virtual networking or virtual storage. Scan results are displayed as a list that you can sort by severity, and include recommendations for fixing issues and links to instructions. No configuration changes occur automatically by running the scan. More information about Hyper-V is available at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=48557

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

DownloadDownload the update package now.

Featured Content

Microsoft Takes Desktop Management to the Cloud: Introducing Windows Intune

Source:http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2010/04/19/microsoft-takes-desktop-management-to-the-cloud-introducing-windows-intune.aspx

This beta is limited to 1,000 customers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Customers will be able to sign up until May 16, 2010. The beta may be used on up to 20 devices.

PC Management & Security Windows Intune Beta

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Windows Intune simplifies how businesses manage and secure PCs using Windows cloud services and Windows 7—so your computers and users can operate at peak performance. Windows Intune delivers cloud-based management and security capabilities that can be administered through a single Web-based console, enabling your end users and your IT staff to work from virtually anywhere-all that’s required is an Internet connection.

Windows Intune screenshot

Remote workers in multiple locations. Multiple PC configurations. Limited resources. These are just a few of the challenges that face businesses just like yours every day. Windows Intune™ is a new solution that can help you address these challenges, taking PC management to a whole new level of simplicity. With its powerful combination of Windows® cloud services, Windows software, and advanced on-site tools, Windows Intune offers a comprehensive solution to help keep your PCs and end users operating at peak performance

Windows Intune is a comprehensive solution that includes PC management, malware protection, Windows upgrades, and more.

Use the Windows Intune cloud service beta to:

  • Manage updates
  • Protect PCs from malware
  • Proactively monitor PCs
  • Provide remote assistance
  • Track hardware & software inventory
  • Set security policies

This beta is limited to 1,000 customers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Customers will be able to sign up until May 16, 2010. The beta may be used on up to 20 devices.

Try

Get the Beta

Sign up for a beta of Windows Intune with your Windows Live ID.http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ff472080.aspx?ITPID=mscomgl

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