Hi,

I’m setting up a single Remote Desktop server on Windows Server 2016 for a new environment of about 15 users, 10 of which will need access to RDP. I’ll also need to buy the Remote Desktop licenses.

In order to enable Remote Desktop on the server, is it just a matter of enabling it under Server Manager > Local Server > Remote Desktop?

Or do I need to also add the Remote Desktop Services role to the server? If I do, what roles are needed? It lists RD Connection Broker, Gateway, Licensing, Session Host, Virtualization Host, and Web Access.

The users will just need to use QuickBooks and access network files when remoting into the server.

Thank you.

3 Spice ups

Have you bought the licenses for Quick Books? You will need the concurrent licenses for that also. You will need the license manager, and I would also do the gate so you can deliver RDS based software only solutions.

1 Spice up

Yes, I have purchased QuickBooks with associated licenses.

Are you having your users connect to the local server or are you planning on publishing Quickbooks as an app? If not are people going to be accessing this server from inside your network or outside (like at home) or both?

If this is for internal use then you don’t really need a gateway. Just go into the computer properties and remote settings, allow connections using Network Level Authentication. You can set it up as a session host and a license server (per user cal licenses). File server properties are set by default in Server 2016. So you will be able to connect to local share folders ect after you join to the domain. If you are allowing people to connect from outside your network I would suggest setting it up with Remote Gateway, RD License, RD Session host. All of these have to be configured but that would allow you to have people connect remotely and securely through the gateway. You will have to install a certificate on the server also. Hope this helps

It’d be nice if they could use it as an app (if the setup works reliably). They would mostly use it from outside the network (home). Some of them both from inside (Mac users) and outside the network. Thank you.

That helps a lot, thanks. How do I install the certificate on the server? Is there a link to a page that explains the steps?

Thank you.

I’d suggest searching for the numerous how-to’s that are out there on the Interwebs.

I use powershell

wmic /namespace:\root\CIMV2\TerminalServices PATH Win32_TSGeneralSetting Set SSLCertificateSHA1Hash=“thumbprint”

Just find the thumbprint of your SSL cert and put it where “thumbprint”

Leave the Quotations

Forgive the silly question, but how do I find the thumbprint of my SSL cert?