setting up a generic TS login

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goodcooper

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you know how you can have multiple TS sessions when logging into a server on the Administrator account?


i'd like to create a generic TS login for RemoteApp, mainly because the remote users won't be part of the domain, so i don't want to have them have to remember yet another password... i just want to put one user/pass in there... save credentials and be done with it... plus all of the security is app side, so i don't see the point in logging in twice...

plus since i'm using RemoteApp i don't see the security problem with having a generic desktop...

any thoughts? how do i enable a user to be able to have multiple concurrent TS sessions?
 
nevermind... figured it out...

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc787315%28WS.10%29.aspx said:
1. Open Terminal Services Configuration.
2. In the console tree, click Server Settings.
3. In the details pane, right-click Restrict each user to one session, and then click Properties.
4. Check the Restrict each user to one session check box, and then click OK.
Note

* To open Terminal Services Configuration, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Terminal Services Configuration.
Click to expand...

sorry for the spam

still wish i knew how to enable it just with a single user though.....
 
So what is going to happen if a connection is dropped and someone reconnects, or, connects, and get another users session?

I frown upon it.
 
my understanding is that with remoteapp, the application is closed on connection loss....
 
I believe it depends. There are a bunch of rules for what happens when you disconnect from a RemoteApp session and some of them can be found at http://blogs.msdn.com/rds/archive/2...ices-remoteapp-session-termination-logic.aspx.

If you have a program that has a systray icon and the user closes the application, but the program is still running in the systray, then the next user that logins will probably get their session and be able to access their program.

If the program is a program like Word where when you close it, the program is completely closed, then you'd probably be fine. The remote connection does stay open for a period of time (defined by Group Policy) so that the next user that does get that session will login faster, but if the application is closed, you don't have anything to worry about.
 
Jason Isom said:
I believe it depends. There are a bunch of rules for what happens when you disconnect from a RemoteApp session and some of them can be found at http://blogs.msdn.com/rds/archive/2...ices-remoteapp-session-termination-logic.aspx.

If you have a program that has a systray icon and the user closes the application, but the program is still running in the systray, then the next user that logins will probably get their session and be able to access their program.

If the program is a program like Word where when you close it, the program is completely closed, then you'd probably be fine. The remote connection does stay open for a period of time (defined by Group Policy) so that the next user that does get that session will login faster, but if the application is closed, you don't have anything to worry about.
Click to expand...

yes, the app i'm piping through RemoteApp is MUCH simpler... there is no tray... TS isn't even serving a tray... just a single window... and when you click the X in the top right hand corner... the TS closes the app, and then your mstsc window closes... it's all transparent... (the minimize button minimizes the mstsc to your taskbar) can't even tell you're logged into a TS session... i exported an .msi installer (which basically installs a .rdp somewhere and adds shortcuts where you want (in my case, in a folder on startmenu and an icon on desktop) with proper app icon (not RDP icon) and users double click that... the RemoteApp isn't called from any other source, nor does it reside in any tray (on the TS server or client desktop), honestly i wouldn't mind building the credentials into the .rdp that's packaged in the .msi at this point... maybe that'll be my next project....

plus, having users take over other users sessions isn't that big of a deal anyway, because all of the remote users have the same security credentials in the app anyway... all of the admin people with higher credentials will be working on the server from within the office, and won't be using remoteapp.... it'll be a rare case when they're out traveling accessing from their laptop.... and even then, the remote users wouldn't know what to do with additional credentials either...

if you knew the nature of the apps and the users, you'd realize the trade-off is worth it... otherwise i'd be interested in hearing of an alternative setup...
 
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Even though RemoteApp is not showing you the SysTray, it is still there and running. RemoteApp still opens up a full remote session, it just hides that fact. RemoteApp will still disconnect the session as long as none of the icons in the SysTray were explicitly started by the user.

We recently just started using Windows Server 2008 and RemoteApp and it's pretty awesome. It's perfect for our industry because we have a lot of users who are not very computer-savvy, but still need to access terminal servers to use our corporate systems. RemoteApp is nice because to the end user, it looks like a client application running on their PC. The downside is that it gets complicated when they try to save stuff to what they think is their desktop, but it's the desktop of the remote system.
 
Jason Isom said:
Even though RemoteApp is not showing you the SysTray, it is still there and running. RemoteApp still opens up a full remote session, it just hides that fact. RemoteApp will still disconnect the session as long as none of the icons in the SysTray were explicitly started by the user.

We recently just started using Windows Server 2008 and RemoteApp and it's pretty awesome. It's perfect for our industry because we have a lot of users who are not very computer-savvy, but still need to access terminal servers to use our corporate systems. RemoteApp is nice because to the end user, it looks like a client application running on their PC. The downside is that it gets complicated when they try to save stuff to what they think is their desktop, but it's the desktop of the remote system.
Click to expand...

exactly... but with our app... it's only for entering info into a database... they won't be saving anything on desktop, and from what i understand, won't even be printing reports...
 
cool id be interested in knowing how you setup that generic login if you do, may have to do something similar down the road.
 
marley1 said:
cool id be interested in knowing how you setup that generic login if you do, may have to do something similar down the road.
Click to expand...


i had an EXCELLENT article on it that stepped through setting it up, plus the directions in the second post above to let them use a generic login...

i wish i could find the article... it went through step by step how to share calc.exe across RemoteApp and explained what most of the settings were... i'll go looking for it again after lunch, if i find it i'll post back here....
 
pretty much install program on server, run through remoteapp and select the exe and be done with it?

please do, would be intersted.
 
ill have to mess with it to see, do you need ts gateway if the user is connecting in through VPN?

i just want to configure the package and put that on the machines.
 
probably not... depends on how your network is set up...

the point of this in my case is that i can shortcircuit the VPN part... just open up the TS server to the internet that way we don't even have to worry about VPNs, when i gen my .rdp or .msi, i'll be sure to use my external ip (or more likely, a hostname i get pointed to it)
 
yeah, i was thinking vpn may be more secure and easier.

ill have to play with it, you didn't find that other guide did ya?
 
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