Microsoft Windows Server 2008 | Part 2
Active Directory Roles
Active Directory now includes identity services, licenses and digital rights management. Until Windows Server 2003 Active Directory enabled network administrators to centrally manage the computers interconnected to define strategies for a set or group of users, and centrally deploy new applications to multiple computers.
The basic role of Active Directory has been known as Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). A number of new services were added, such as Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS), Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS – originally known as the Active Directory Application Mode or ADAM), Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS), and the Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS).
Services Certificate of Identity and allow administrators to manage user accounts and digital certificates that allow them access to certain services and systems. Federation management services enable companies to share authentication data with partners and trusted client, allowing a consultant to use his own user account and password to log onto the network client. Identity Integration Feature Pack is included with Active Directory Metadirectory Services (ADMS). Each of these services represents a server role.
Terminal Services
Windows Server 2008 brings major improvements to Terminal Services. Terminal Services is now compatible with protocol in Remote Desktop 6.0 Remote Desktop Protocol 6.0. The most notable improvement is the ability to share an application via a desktop connection remotely, instead of the entire desktop. This feature is called Terminal Services Remote Programs.
Other novelties include Terminal Services, Gateway Terminal Services (Terminal Services Gateway) and web access to Terminal Services (Terminal Services Web Access – complete web interface). Using Terminal Services Gateway, authorized computers can connect securely to a Terminal Server or a remote desktop from the Internet through the use of remote desktop via HTTPS without recourse to the drafting Screening of a VPN connection.
There is no need to open additional ports on the firewall for RDP is encapsulated in HTTPS access. Terminal Services Web Access enables administrators to provide access to Terminal Services sessions via a web interface. TS Web Access comes with an editable Webpart for IIS and SharePoint, which displays the available applications and connections to the user.
Using TS Gateway and TS Remote Programs, the complete access performed via HTTP (S) and the remote applications appear transparent manner to the user as if they were used locally. Several applications can be executed in the same session which does not need additional licenses per user. Terminal Services Easy Print does not require the installation of printer drivers on the server by the administrator, but securing the redirection and availability of all user interfaces for printers that allows use in remote sessions.
The Terminal Services sessions are created in parallel and not in series – the new session model can initiate 4 sessions in parallel, or more if the server has more than 4 processors.
Continued…
