What Is A Terminal Server?

What is a terminal server?

A terminal server is a server or network device that enables connections to multiple client systems to connect to a LAN network without using a modem or a network interface. Microsoft introduced this concept by releasing terminal services as a part of the Windows Server operating system. Terminal services have been an integral part of Windows Server OS editions beginning with Windows NT 4.0. With the release of Windows Server 2008 R2, terminal services were renamed remote desktop services (RDS). Before implementing this technology, it is important to know what is a terminal server is and why you should use one.

Why use a terminal server?

Terminal servers enable businesses to centrally host applications and resources and publish them to remote client devices, regardless of the location and platform of the end user device. A terminal server provides multiple benefits. First, terminal servers provide end users with access to company resources from anywhere and from any device. Second, they facilitate a single point of maintenance and allow you to monitor the infrastructure from a central dashboard. Third, applications are installed once and regularly updated on the server, so there is no need to install or update a program on each machine in the network. In addition, with concurrent licenses instead of per-device ones, businesses can reduce licensing costs, and thin clients allow businesses to optimize costs and power savings for a better ROI. Moreover, the lifespan of desktop hardware extends is extended, and network security is significantly improved.

What is a terminal server architecture?

It is also important to understand terminal server architecture. The terminal server architecture consists of three important components: the multi-user core server where resources are centrally hosted, a remote desktop protocol that enables data transmission between the server and the client, and a terminal server client program that needs to be installed on each remote client device. This client program allows the device to connect to the server via the RDP protocol. In addition, there is the Terminal Services Licensing Service which provides the server with the TS CAL licenses for devices to connect to it. The sessions list is saved in the Sessions Directory Service. This list is indexed by username, allowing the user to reconnect to the same server.

What is terminal server licensing?

Each user/device connecting to the TS server should have a TS CAL. The terminal server licensing role is installed on a TS license server. The role of this TS licensing server is to store and track all TS CALs installed for a group of servers. A single licensing server can serve multiple TS servers. The license server should be activated to provide permanent TS CALs; otherwise, it issues temporary TS CALs. It is important to know what terminal server licensing is in order to estimate costs.

To deliver virtual desktops and applications to remote users, terminal services uses the RDP protocol. It works on TCP/IP and listens on port 3389. The RDP protocol was improved to provide a rich graphical experience to end users. 

Terminal services use case

Let’s say, for instance, that a company has a geographically dispersed network of 1,000 users connected over WAN. The company develops a new application which is to be used by all employees. The application is not web-based, and employees work from different locations. The company has to provide access to that application for every user/device. Terminal services is a nice solution to this issue. With one server, a TS server OS license, TS licensing server, and TS CALs for each user/device, you can set up a terminal service environment to centrally host applications and deliver them to remote client devices with ease.

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