Setting up Remote Desktop Services Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) in Windows Server 2022

Posted on 18th June 2023

Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is a great way to provide secure remote access to Windows applications and desktops. RDS is available in all editions of Windows Server 2022, and can be used to provide virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), session-based desktops, and application streaming.

In this article, we will show you how to set up RDS VDI on a Windows Server 2022 machine. We will assume that you have a basic understanding of RDS and VDI concepts.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you will need the following:

• A Windows Server 2022 machine. This can be a physical or virtual machine.
• An Active Directory domain. RDS VDI requires Active Directory authentication.
• A user account that has permission to create and manage RDS objects in Active Directory.

Installing the Remote Desktop Services Role

The first step is to install the Remote Desktop Services role on the server. This can be done using the Server Manager console, or using PowerShell.

Installing using Server Manager

To install the Remote Desktop Services role using Server Manager:

1. Open the Server Manager console and click on Manage > Add Roles and Features.
2. On the Before you begin page, click Next.
3. On the Select installation type page, select Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
4. On the Select destination server page, select the server on which you want to install the role and click Next.
5. On the Select server roles page, check the box next to Remote Desktop Services and click Next.
6. On the Confirm installation selections page, click Install. The installation will take a few minutes to complete.

Installing using PowerShell

To install the Remote Desktop Services role using PowerShell:

1. Open a PowerShell console with administrative privileges.
2. Run the following command to install the Remote Desktop Services role:

   Install-WindowsFeature -Name RDS-VDI

Configuring the Remote Desktop Licensing Server

The next step is to configure the Remote Desktop Licensing server. This server is responsible for managing RDS client access licenses (CALs).

1. Open the Server Manager console and click on Tools > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Licensing Manager.
2. Right-click on the server and select Activate Server from the context menu.
3. On the Welcome to the Activate Server Wizard page, click Next.
4. On the License server activation page, select Enter the number of licenses needed and enter the number of licenses that you want to purchase. Then, click Next.
5. On the Confirmation page, click Finish.

Configuring the Remote Desktop Connection Broker

The next step is to configure the Remote Desktop Connection Broker. This server is responsible for managing user sessions and providing access to virtual desktops.

1. Open the Server Manager console and click on Tools > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Connection Broker.
2. Right-click on the server and select Configure High Availability from the context menu.
3. On the Welcome to the Configure High Availability Wizard page, click Next.
4. On the Select role page, select Connection Broker and click Next.
5. On the Specify server name page, enter the name of the server that will host the connection broker role and click Next.
6. On the Specify high availability settings page, select the Create a database option and enter the SQL Server instance name. Then, click Next.
7. On the Confirm selections page, click Create. The wizard will create the database and configure the connection broker role.

Configuring the Remote Desktop Virtualization Host

The next step is to configure the Remote Desktop Virtualization Host. This server will host the virtual machines that will be used by RDS VDI users.

1. Open the Server Manager console and click on Tools > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Virtualization Host.
2. Right-click on the server and select Configure High Availability from the context menu.
3. On the Welcome to the Configure High Availability Wizard page, click Next.
4. On the Select role page, select Virtualization Host and click Next.
5. On the Specify server name page, enter the name of the server that will host the virtualization host role and click Next.
6. On the Specify high availability settings page, select the Create a database option and enter the SQL Server instance name. Then, click Next.
7. On the Confirm selections page, click Create. The wizard will create the database and configure the virtualization host role.

Creating a Remote Desktop Session Collection

The next step is to create a Remote Desktop Session Collection. This collection will contain the virtual machines that will be used by RDS VDI users.

1. Open the Server Manager console and click on Tools > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Collection.
2. Right-click on the server and select Create Session Collection from the context menu.
3. On the Welcome to the Create Session Collection Wizard page, click Next.
4. On the Specify name and description page, enter a name and description for the session collection and click Next.
5. On the Select deployment type page, select the Virtual machine-based desktop deployment option and click Next.
6. On the Specify RD Virtualization Host servers page, select the servers that will host the virtual machines and click Next.
7. On the Specify RD Connection Broker servers page, select the servers that will host the connection broker role and click Next.
8. On the Select user groups page, select the user groups that will have access to the session collection and click Next.
9. On the Specify RD Licensing servers page, select the servers that will host the licensing server role and click Next.
10. On the Select VDI desktops page, select the virtual machines that will be used by RDS VDI users and click Next.


Previous Post - How to Use Live Text on the iPhone 14



Next Post - How to Use the Text Frame Tool in Affinity Designer