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Remote Desktop Services

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Terminal Services also Terminal Server Edition or TSE is a component of Microsoft Windows NT operating systems (both client and server versions) that allows a user to access applications or data stored on a remote computer over a network connection. Terminal Services is Microsoft's take on server centric computing, which allows individual users to access network resources easily.

Based on the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Terminal Services was first introduced in Windows NT 4.0 (Terminal Server Edition). The products Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Windows 2000 Datacenter Server and Windows Server 2003 have introduced several improvements and new features. Microsoft used Terminal Services in Windows XP for the Remote Assistance feature. Windows XP (Professional Edition only) includes a single-user Terminal License using the Remote Desktop feature.

Remote Desktop Connection for Windows
Remote Desktop Connection for Windows

Microsoft provides the client software Remote Desktop Connection (formerly called Terminal Services Client), available for most 32-bit versions of their Windows operating systems and Apple's Mac OS X, that allows a user to connect to a server running Terminal Services. Third-party developers have created client software for other platforms, including the open source rdesktop client for common Unix platforms. There are also much older computer terminal systems that were in use well before Terminal Services. Terminal Services is just one of the many ways in which clients can access a central server's resources. Both Terminal Services and Remote Desktop Protocol use Port 3389.

Remote Desktop Connection for Mac OS X.
Remote Desktop Connection for Mac OS X.

Citrix

Microsoft has a longstanding agreement with Citrix to facilitate sharing of technologies and patent licensing between Microsoft Terminal Services and Citrix Presentation Server (formerly Citrix MetaFrame). In this arrangement, Citrix has access to key source code for the Windows platform enabling their developers to improve the security and performance of the Terminal Services platform. In late December, 2004 the two companies announced a five-year renewal of this arrangement to cover the upcoming release of Windows Vista.

Centralized Software

Microsoft Terminal Services have allowed many IT departments worldwide to bring their applications to a single server. This is especially true in Windows Server 2003, which is a multi-user system. Instead of deploying accounting software on all desktops, they simply put it on a server in the network room and give their users access to it. Upgrades, Troubleshooting, and more were suddenly made much easier.

Some third party companies now also offer software which allows companies to share a single application over Terminal Services. Instead of giving access to the entire server desktop, an administrator can simply allow access to a single application. This is especially useful in service-based companies.

See also

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