RDS 2019 - The Build (with thoughts and questions)

[Tefters]

So its that time where I decide to start work on a new RDS image with a new server OS version, this time round... 2019!

Looking back at previous years, http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-server-2016/175375-rds-2016-a-2.html#post1506827, I am going through a list of things I want to improve on.

 

This time round i don't think there will be a need to deploy, make changes and then re-capture so current plan is to just deploy base image, update and then software install and tweaks on top.

 

Last time round I enabled Windows Photo Viewer through a REG key hack and then also added back in the old sticky notes but this time round am going to be pointing people to Outlook notes and/or OneNote. The new sticky notes in Windows 10 is now an immersive app and no longer shared the same properties between machines as the old sticky notes did so people flipping between remote desktop and standard Win10 machines would get a bad experience... (However this is Microsoft all over really as Win10 is full of immersive apps now yet Server platform supports none so the environments are so disjointed unless you go down the VDI route but the cost and work for that...)

As for the photo viewer I am looking into either XnView Classic or IrFanView however need to test both.

 

Windows Audio server on Server OS in RDS also causes major issues with black screen logons thanks to a bug with the AudioDG process. This is supposed to be isolated to use with Firefox on RDS however I only have IE on RDS so GG there... In short a reg key hack needs to be put in place in order to disable Windows sounds playing on startup/logon for all users due to the AudioDG process getting stuck in a deadlock loop otherwise users can expect to see 5 minutes black screen logons if your not careful.

 

Customization of Windows start menu is now all GPO or bust and none can be made pre image capture to the default profile anymore.

 

Web browser is always a good one for me when it comes to RDS. Chrome eats WAY to much memory and can cripple a RDS server when used by kids, IE is old and well... its IE! Firefox possibly but that means yet another different web browser (have IE, Chrome and Edge on Win10 desktops) and Edge doesn't exist in Server OS world... #FML is all I can say here...

 

A lot of rambling I know but hopefully for the people out there that ever face building RDS images they will find out that you either build it right first time or face a world of pain.

 

If anyone has any suggestions on RDS friendly applications please feel free to jump in. I will update this post more upon making decisions and document the full process of the build.

 

EDIT: So spent the afternoon testing photo viewer apps for Server 2019 and IrView works perfectly with file associations and little to no impact on resources so we have a winner on that front!

Edited December 4, 2018 by Tefters

[free780]

I would seriously move away from RDS. Microsoft only seems to be investing in Windows virtual Desktop on Azure. There are many things that don't work as required in Server 2016 Onedrive sync client, store apps. I don't think Server 2019 will be any different. I'd stay clear of Onenote as the desktop app is EOL and there isn't an alternative on RDS other than the website. If your not a Office365 org you may get away with using RDS.

 

The black screen issue is to do with per user firewall rules being created when a user logs on. The latest CU on server 2016 mitigates this with a reg key.

But I would look at moving to standard PCs.

[Tefters]

I would seriously move away from RDS. Microsoft only seems to be investing in Windows virtual Desktop on Azure. There are many things that don't work as required in Server 2016 Onedrive sync client, store apps. I don't think Server 2019 will be any different. I'd stay clear of Onenote as the desktop app is EOL and there isn't an alternative on RDS other than the website. If your not a Office365 org you may get away with using RDS.

 

The black screen issue is to do with per user firewall rules being created when a user logs on. The latest CU on server 2016 mitigates this with a reg key.

But I would look at moving to standard PCs.

 

Yeah that ain't gonna happen here. Around 120 thin clients and people also live on it for home access.

RDS is still an alright solution given its price point (CAL cost and that's it) however its just slightly annoying how such little things get overlooked with the view of VDI. The cost gap of infrastructure for VDI compared to RDS is quite substantial and that statement includes WVD in Azure under the VDI umbrella too.

 

Microsoft is on the cash grab now with all these cloud solutions as its the IT buzz word of the century however we all know its just IT outsourcing, while its nice and preferred we pay that premium for it and our hardware onsite which is still capable for many years to come is left to what...?

 

Office 365 is great because its free but outside of that Azure can cost a pretty penny and onsite licensing is losing its education discount as well so costs are starting to ramp up year on year.

 

Given half the chance I would throw everything in the cloud and concentrate on other things (luckily I have a big enough ISP pipe for that, others don't) but the money isn't there for that and Microsoft are just cutting more and more out of the common server OS platform.

[free780]

Yep and pushing it to LTSC which means it's not really current. If your a gsuite org it may work. Once you get round the Chrome extension issue on UPDs. I have 400 thin clients and also use it for remote access. It'll be interesting with MS licensing over the next couple of years. I have no issue with Microsoft 365 but it seems RDS is being ignored. Trying to gauge the cost of WVD is going to be difficult. Interesting the SKU is on the 1809 ISO. Maybe MS are expecting pushback.

[Tefters]

Remote desktop in business environments is predictable and easy, users use the applications they need and that's it. The usual Office, LoB app and some web browsing.

 

Education... Well... Kids need this and this and this and this all because the curriculum changes year by year, teachers just want this and that in order to teach and if they don't get it go crying to the SLT and then unions.

Web resources for staff and students are so bloody wide and varied, some only work with IE, others with Chrome, most still use flash...

 

If money was not an issue I would be running VDI in a heartbeat.

[FishCustard]

We use the new RDWeb client for remote access and people love it, I wouldn't say that MS are pushing people to VD on Azure - RDS is clearly still under active development.

[k-strider]

I tried to in-place upgrade my VM that did Connection broker, Gateway and Licensing on Friday but it failed and rolled back (twice) i managed to do this no probs from 2012R2 to 2016...

 

Are you building a whole new farm i guess like in the past your connection broker needs to be 2019 to allow 2019 session hosts into the farm?

[Tefters]

I tried to in-place upgrade my VM that did Connection broker, Gateway and Licensing on Friday but it failed and rolled back (twice) i managed to do this no probs from 2012R2 to 2016...

 

Are you building a whole new farm i guess like in the past your connection broker needs to be 2019 to allow 2019 session hosts into the farm?

 

Funny you say that because I was looking into that this morning as yes I did have to upgrade my broker last time but there is no documentation around for RDS 2019 this time...

 

EDIT: Just going to whack the RDSH role on my test server now and create a test collection against my 2016 Broker *grabs popcorn*

Edited December 5, 2018 by Tefters

[Tefters]

And there we have it ladies a gentleman, a working RDSH 2019 server going through a 2016 Connection Broker...

Is it supported? F knows as Microsoft has 0 documentation updated for RDS outside of 2016... Logic would say yes it is supported as there has been no major announcement or news of improvements in the Connection Broker role whereas the 2016 version has huge changes over the 2012r2 version therefore was understandable.

 

I will be running my RDSH 2019's off of my 2016 CB until I can get round to in-place upgrading it (or breaking it...) but that will have to be done out of hours due to people using current RDSH 2016's.

 

Edited December 5, 2018 by Tefters

[free780]

I tried to in-place upgrade my VM that did Connection broker, Gateway and Licensing on Friday but it failed and rolled back (twice) i managed to do this no probs from 2012R2 to 2016...

 

Are you building a whole new farm i guess like in the past your connection broker needs to be 2019 to allow 2019 session hosts into the farm?

 

Very brave...

[k-strider]

oh that's good I think I will commission a 2019 server this week

[Tefters]

I will in-place upgrade my CB in the coming weeks however it is on its own server with nothing else whereas you had 3 major roles stacked on 1 machine!

 

Also while I think about it, not sure how to licensing work for RDS CAL's because...

 

 

EDIT:- Added a few test user accounts to the group and remote in and not getting any CAL licensing errors as you usually would so the 2016 CAL's are working for 2019 ???

Edited December 5, 2018 by Tefters

[k-strider]

yes that thought did cross my mind with licensing.... yeah my VM does all the three roles so at some point i will have to rebuild the farm but maybe that can now wait till next version.