Setting up remote desktop protocol (RDP) on a Windows Server

RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) is a protocol or technical standard used to organize remote work between a user and a server.

Clients exist for almost all versions of Windows (including Windows CE, Phone, and Mobile), Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, iOS, Android, and Symbian.

In this article, we would like to invite you to consider the RDP Windows server through the prism of a cloud server from SIM-Networks. We will show you how easy it is to connect to a remote server, walking you through every step.

Preparatory stage

To start with RDP, you will need a server or cloud solution with the pre-installed Windows operating system. Each OS has its minimum computing power requirements. Given that RDP is often used for production workloads, the server must meet these requirements. Our cloud servers provide sufficient computing resources for efficient operation and automatic data backup.

In this instruction, we install the Remote Desktop Service using the SIM-Networks cloud with an Intel Xeon processor with 4 cores, 16 GB of RAM, and 100 GB of storage (Marin package).

To access your cloud server, you will receive a unique login and password by email. These credentials are required to connect to the cloud control panel.

For those who prefer visual guidance, we also offer video instructions on how to connect to a cloud server via RDP.

Installing the RDP role on a Windows server occurs in two stages: first, the Remote Desktop Service is installed, after which we determine the licensing server.

1. Installing Terminal Server (Remote Desktop Services) on Windows Server

Before starting the settings, you need to set the name of the server itself:

Start → Server Manager → Local Server → Click on the current computer name to change it.

After that, once on the System Properties page, click the Change button, after which we go to the page for changing the computer name. Specify the desired name, and click OK. As a result, we get a system message stating that a reboot is required to apply the new setting. A reboot can be performed either immediately or later on your own.

After rebooting the server, we can proceed directly to the installation of the Active Directory directory service:

Start → Server Manager → Add roles and features:

In the dialog box that opens, select Install roles and features:

Next, you need to select the server on which we will install the AD role. From the Server Pool list, select our SRV01 server and click Next:

Then a list of available roles to install on our server will appear. In this case, we are interested in a role called Active Directory Domain Services. By checking this item, we will open a list of all the necessary components that will be installed for the basic functioning of the AD role. You can also install the DNS server role during the selection of roles for installation. In all remaining dialog boxes, click the Next button. At the very last step, click Install to install the role:

Upon completion of the installation, go back to the menu item Start → Server Manager → Add roles and features. As in the image below, once a new role has been established, a yellow triangle icon will appear:

We promote the role of the server to the level of a domain controller by clicking the button of the same name.

Then, after selecting the Add new forest item, specify the name of our domain and click Next:

We leave the compatibility of the forest and the root domain to Windows Server 2012 R2. Check the DNS Server and Global Catalog (GC) items. Set a password to restore directory services if the need arises in the future:

On the next tab, we will get a warning that it is not possible to perform delegation for this DNS server, we ignore the message and go to the next window:

On the next NetBIOS tab, leave the name unchanged:

At the next stage, the paths to the database files will be displayed, we also leave them unchanged:

By clicking Next, we will proceed to the list of summary settings, after which you can proceed directly to the installation stage itself. Automatic checks for the correctness of the installed parameters and settings will be performed, after which the Install button will become available:

When the installation is complete, the server will be rebooted.

Centralized management of users, and groups, editing, adding, and deleting them can now be performed through the Active Directory Administrative Center snap-in in the Server Manager menu, from the Tools tab:

2. Determine the license server for Remote Desktop Services

Let's start installing the terminal server: Start → Server Manager → Add roles and features. Leave the Install roles and features selected on the next dialog box and proceed further:

Select the Select a target server item in the dialog box and click Next:

Let's move on to choosing a specific role for the server that we want to install. In this case, Remote Desktop Services:

Move on to the next Components window. We leave everything as it is, without changes, and move on:

Read the description of Remote Desktop Services and click Next:

Now you need to select the role services to install. We need the Remote Desktop Licensing role. We mark the corresponding item, in the child window that opens, confirm the addition of the components of this role, proceed to the installation stage, and wait for its successful completion. After installation, you will need to restart the server:

After that, you need to license the terminal server. First of all, to install licenses, you need to set the licensing mode for the terminal server.

In Windows Server 2012, this is done through the Group Policy Control Panel. Let's open the command line and write the gpedit.msc command:

This command will open the Group Policy Editor. Let's go along the path: Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Remote Desktop Services → Remote Desktop Session Host → Licensing Here we are interested in two parameters: Use the specified remote desktop licensing servers and Set the remote desktop licensing mode:

Let's open the first parameter for editing and specify the licensing server. Since it is located on our server, we specify the name of our server (SRV01) or our IP address and change the policy state to Enabled:

Change the second group policy setting. We need to choose how the licensing procedure will take place. There are two options: Per Device or Per User. With 5 licenses and Per Device mode, you can create an unlimited number of users on the server who will be able to connect via Remote Desktop only from 5 computers on which these licenses are installed. If you select the Per-user mode, then only 5 selected users will be able to access the server, regardless of the device from which they connect. In our example, we select the Per User licensing option.

Let's fix this error by activating the license server. Let's go to the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager:

We see that the status of our licensing server is Not activated. To activate it, right-click and select Activate Server. from the context menu that appears. After that, the server activation wizard will open:

Click Next and go to the next item for choosing the connection method, leaving the item Auto:

Next, you will need to enter information for the organization, where all fields are required. As well as additional information about the organization, which are optional:

Then a message appears to activate the license server. It remains to install licenses on the server. Let's leave the Run the license installation wizard option enabled in the final window for activating the license server:

3. Install licenses on the Remote Desktop license server

The license installation wizard will start:

We need to select the program based on which our licenses are obtained in the next window. The example considers the type of Agreement «Enterprise Agreement»:

Go to the next window and enter the number of our agreement:

Specify the product version, license type, and a number of licenses by our licensing program:

Let's wait until the installation wizard activates the licenses:

Make sure the license server is running and check the number of installed licenses in the license manager:

After that, you can perform multi-user connections of clients, for example, through the built-in client in Windows Remote Desktop Connection. It should also be noted that the user who needs access to the Remote Desktop connection must be a member of the Remote Desktop Users group..

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