XcellDedicated  - Terminal Services Web Access

Terminal Services Web Access

Terminal Services Web Access (TS Web Access) is a service within Terminal Services that lets you make TS RemoteApp programs, and a link to the terminal server desktop, available to users from a Web browser. Additionally, TS Web Access enables users to launch a connection from a Web browser to the remote desktop of any server or client computer where they have the appropriate access.

TS Web Access acts as the access or launch mechanism in conjunction with TS Gateway, to enable you to easily deploy RemoteApp programs over the internet in conjunction with TS Web Access. A user can visit a Web site, view a list of RemoteApp programs, and then simply click on a program icon to start the program. The RemoteApp programs are seamless, meaning that they appear like a local program. Users can minimize, maximize, and resize the program window, and can easily start multiple programs at the same time. For an administrator, TS Web Access is easy to configure and to deploy.

What New Functionality does TS Web Access Provide?

In Windows Server 2008, TS Web Access provides a much improved end-user Web experience over earlier versions of Terminal Services:

- With TS Web Access, a user does not have to manually start the Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) client to start a RemoteApp program. Instead, they access the Web page, and then click a program icon.

- The RemoteApp programs look like they are running on the local desktop.

- If the user starts multiple RemoteApp programs and the RemoteApp programs are all running on the same terminal server, the programs run in the same session.

- Users do not have to download a separate ActiveX control to access TS Web Access. Instead, RDC 6.1 includes the required ActiveX control. (The RDC 6.1 client supports Remote Desktop Protocol 6.1.) RDC 6.1 is included in Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3 and combines both the traditional RDC and the ActiveX control.

- TS Web Access replaces the older TS Web Connection software available for Windows TS 2003.

TS Web Access offers many benefits

- Users can access RemoteApp programs from a Web site over the Internet or from an intranet. To start a RemoteApp program, they just click the program icon.

- If a user starts more than one RemoteApp program through TS Web Access, and the programs are running on the same terminal server, the RemoteApp programs run within the same Terminal Services session.

- By using TS Web Access, there is much less administrative overhead. You can easily deploy programs from a central location. Additionally, programs are running on a terminal server and not on the client computer so they are easier to maintain.

- TS Web Access includes support for Remote Desktop connections, which enables users to connect remotely to the desktop of any computer where  Remote Desktop is enabled

- TS Web Access provides a solution that works with minimal configuration. The TS Web Access Web page includes a customizable Web Part, which can be incorporated into a customized Web page or a Windows SharePoint® Services site.