VDI \ RDP Remote Access solution

[gshaw]

Following on from the Remote Access thread it seems I'm not imagining things and the Server 2008 R2 Remote Access components aren't really up to scratch so need something that can do the following...

- provide a "desktop" session either as VDI or terminal services
- be accessible over a secure connection
- easy to access from a user perspective with a single logon (their network username)

I know there's the likes of XenDesktop but think that requires an additional gateway component? Not sure if View is the same?

[Dave_O]

Terminal service works fine, provided you understand its limitations ie video CAD etc and you scale appropriately. With your virtual infrastructure you can resize your TS as and when required. You can just publish your terminal server outside through a broker (to address your secure connections agenda) and use that if you want a "desktop" like experience.
If you want a cheapish VMware solution, buy a 10 VM add in pack (Enterprise version) just use the broker to publish a TS out there with an appropriate number of user CALS (enough to cover all that can use the system, note the can not will) or use your existing ESXs to publish up to 10 VMs out there, but just remember you have to buy MS full licenses for these as they are not covered by EES.

We offer staff access through Ericom (remote/virtual apps), teminal services (through a VMWare View broker) and full virtual desktops through VMWare View (through the same broker as TS). We have on average 50 different staff users externally each evening (not all concurrent). These are split into 20 using Ericom (simple users who only need to use one app), 15 using TS and 15 using VDI.

The question you then have to ask yourself is, is this legal? No one has been able to give me a definitive answer as to whether it is within the licensing to access software from off premises. Have tried for 4 years to get an answer, had plently of verbal assurances but nothing in writing.

[FN-GM]

If you have a good setup heavy software will work under XenDesktop. The company i work for uses photoshop under XenDesktop. Also all the company developers use XenDesktop. So don't be put off. Give it a try.

[gshaw]

Having done some testing with Adito coupling that up with RDS might do the trick. I find it incredible that an open source project can manage to enter the session credentials smoothly into an RDP session but MS can't manage it with their own technologies!