Module 3: Deploying Virtual Desktops with Windows Server 2012 and RDS

1. Module 3: Deploying Virtual Desktops with Windows Server 2012 and RDS

2. Agenda • Remote Desktop Services components and configuration • Benefits and architectural overview • Improvements in Windows Server 2012 • High availability for server roles • RDS broker configuration • Configuring custom VDI with Server Manager • Implementing high availability • Patching and updating pooled and personal collections

3. Remote Desktop Services Architectural Components SMB, SANs, or direct attached local storage

4. Improved Administration Experience • New Server Manager-based tools • Both sessions and VMs benefit from the improved management and deployment experience • Centralized administration console* • Administer groups of servers • Configure RemoteApp programs • Manage virtual desktops • Add servers • Automation through Windows PowerShell • Manage at scale using Windows PowerShell * Existing consoles, such as RemoteApp Manager and RD Session Host Configuration, have been removed and most-used functionality moved to the central console

5. Lower Cost Deployments • Support for cheaper storage options • Use inexpensive local storage with live migration functionality between host computers for pooled virtual desktops • Personal virtual desktops can use SMB-based central storage • Automated pooled virtual desktop management • Deploy and manage pooled virtual desktops centrally by using a virtual desktop template • Remote Desktop Services installs any changes, such as new applications or updates, in the virtual desktop template and then recreates the pooled virtual desktops from the template • Highly available RD Connection Broker • The RD Connection Broker can be clustered in an active/active configuration to improve deployment scalability, performance, and availability • Personal desktop patching • Patch personal desktop VMs while they are running, or let RD Connection Broker wake them to apply patches

6. Lower Cost Deployments • Scenario-based deployments • Installation will install the required role services to support the type of deployment you want (session virtualization or VDI) • Simplified evaluation • A quick deployment scenario installs required role services to support a session virtualization or VDI deployment on one server • Centralized publishing • Publish and manage RemoteApp programs, session-based desktops, and virtual desktops from a centralized console • Simplified interface • Remote Desktop Services management UI displays commonly-used features • Less-used features often are managed from Group Policy or from the RDS Windows PowerShell provider

7. Desktop Virtualization (VDI) Deployment Modes • Desktop Virtualization (VDI) • Standard • Installs appropriate roles on separate computers • Quick Start • Installs the RD Connection Broker and RD Web Access role services on a single computer • Creates a pooled virtual desktop collection with two pooled virtual desktops based on a virtual hard disk that’s the virtual desktop template • Creates a Hyper-V network switch named RDS Virtual

8. VDI Infrastructure Requirements • The server must have hardware-assisted virtualization • The computer must be a member of the domain • The RD Connection Broker role service cannot be installed on the same computer as Active Directory Domain Services • Administrator must belong to the local administrators security group • A network share configured for storing user profile disks is required • All RD Virtualization Host computer accounts must have the ability to read and write to this location

9. VDI Infrastructure Requirements • A virtual desktop template • A pre-configured virtual machine that is generalized by using Sysprep and then shut down • NOTE: the final sysprep of the virtual machine must be performed without using the /unattend switch • VDI Quick Start • The virtual desktop template (a virtual hard disk) • Must be generalized by using Sysprep (Virtual Machine Mode), and then shut down • A virtual switch must NOT be created on the server running Hyper-V (the Quick Start deployment type creates one) • VDI standard deployment • The virtual desktop template must • Have the correct virtual switch selected • Be generalized using Sysprep (Virtual Machine Mode), and then shut down

10. Preparing the Master or Gold VM (Virtual Desktop Template) • Configure a desktop virtual machine on the Hyper-V server • Snapshots ARE supported for the template VM • The VDI creation process will use the currently active (“Now”) snapshot • If static memory is configured, the minimum amount is 1024 MBs • If dynamic memory is configured, the maximum memory must be at least 1024 MBs • If using the standard deployment model, the master VM must be connected to a virtual switch that can communicate with a domain controller • Note: Quick Start creates a virtual switch • Install the operating system and any applications that need to be included in the template VM • OS must be at least Windows 7 with SP1 or Windows 8 • Installed in a workgroup • VMs are automatically joined to the domain specified in the VDI wizard

11. Preparing the Master or Gold VM (Virtual Desktop Template) • Apply any patches or updates to the VM as required • Make any other configuration changes as required • For example, you can create a customized default profile • Note that this would require you to use Sysprep and an unattend.xml file with the CopyProfile setting set to TRUE in the specialize phase of Windows setup • In this case, you must generalize the image and then run through the Out-of-the-box experience (OOBE) set up again before the final preparation of the image • In the virtual machine, run the following command from Windows\System32\Sysprep directory • Sysprep /oobe /generalize /mode: vm

12. Configuring custom VDI with Server Manager

13. Quick Start Wizard 3a 1 a - VDI b - Session 3b 2

14. Standard Deployment 3a 1 a - VDI b - Session 2 3b

15. a - VDI b - Session Standard Deployment 4a 5 4b 6

16. Standard Deployment 7a a - VDI b - Session 8 7b If compatibility check succeeds, deployment proceeds

17. Implementing High Availability

18. BEST VALUE FOR VDI High Availability for All RDS Roles Remote Desktop Virtualization Host Remote Desktop Virtualization Host Remote Desktop Virtualization Host New in Windows Server 2012 Web farm • Active/active high availability mode for brokers • Scale-out File Server and resiliency • Requires Microsoft SQL Server • Automatic data migration from single instance to high availability Remote Desktop Connection Broker Remote Desktop Connection Broker Remote Desktop Connection Broker Remote Desktop Connection Broker Hyper-V cluster Remote Desktop Web Access Remote Desktop Web Access Remote Desktop Web Access SQL Server Clustering Remote Desktop Session Host Remote Desktop Session Host Remote Desktop Session Host Database Remote Desktop Gateway Remote Desktop Gateway Remote Desktop Gateway Remote Desktop Licensing Remote Desktop Licensing Remote Desktop Licensing Remote Desktop Session Host farm Web farm Cluster

19. Configuring RD Connection Broker for High Availability RD Virtualization Host Remote Desktop Connection Broker 01 Remote Desktop Connection Broker 02 Remote Desktop Connection Broker 03 Hyper-V cluster SQL Server Cluster RD Client Remote Desktop Session Host DNS RD Gateway Farm RD Gateway RD Session Host Farm HA Central Certificate Store

20. High Availability RD Connection Broker Configuration Pre-Requisites • SQL Server (at least SQL Server 2008 R2) for RD Connection Broker servers to use • SQL Server configured with full permissions granted to RD Connection Broker servers • Windows firewall on SQL Server server configured to “Allow SQL Server Access” from connection brokers • Network folder to store SQL Server database files (can be created on SQL server computer) • SQL client installed on connection brokers • Static IP addresses configured on the connection broker servers • DNS A resource records for each of the static IP addresses that point to the same, shared name (enables DNS round robin)

21. RD Resource Authorization Policy (RAP) Configuration for Highly Available Connection Brokers • When deploying an RD gateway server, ensure you configure a RAP that includes the shared (round robin) DNS name of the RD Gateway-managed group • This setting allows RD Gateway users to connect using the DNS name

22. High Availability Configuration Broker Configuration • Starting point for enabling high availability is to configure a single RD Connection Broker for either virtual machine or session-based deployment • In Server Manager, configure RD Connection Broker for high availability • Enter SQL connection string, database folder, and DNS round-robin name

23. High Availability RD Connection Broker Results • Local connection broker data migrated to SQL and the connection broker will start using SQL for data immediately • In Server Manager, the option to add additional connection broker servers to is enabled • If the RD Connection Broker role service is not already added to the server, it will be added automatically • RD Connection Brokers use SQL to store data • The RD Virtual Host, Session Host and Web Access (end nodes) are configured with all the RD Connection Broker server names • Will choose a connection broker name at random to connect to • RDP clients use the DNS round-robin name • If any RD Connection Broker loses connection to SQL, all connected end nodes are immediately disconnected and will try to establish connection with other connection brokers

24. Patching and updating pooled and personal collections

25. Patching and Updating Pooled Collections • Accomplished by updating the master template / reference VM and then recreating the virtual desktops in the collection • When a user logs on, he or she will receive the updated virtual machine • If a user is logged on, the virtual machine is unaffected by default until the user logs off • Administrators can force an immediate logoff so the virtual machine can be updated in urgent situations or force a logoff according to a schedule

26. Using Snapshots for Pooled Collections • The template / reference virtual machine for a pooled collection is the ‘now’ snapshot of a virtual machine • All reference VMs must be generalized before they can be used to provision or recreate a virtualized desktop • As best practice, start with a snapshot of an ungeneralized Windows 7 or Windows 8 virtual machine • Generalize, shutdown, and create new snapshot • The ‘now’ snapshot reflecting the generalized state will be used to (re)create the virtual desktops • When updating a VM, revert to ungeneralized snapshot, delete generalized snapshot, update VM, generalize, shutdown. and snapshot • These steps are particularly important for unarmed versions of Windows 7 • Each sysprep operation consumes one of the 4 rearms available in Windows 7

27. Updating Personal Collections • Updating is similar to physical desktops using a periodic Windows Update schedule • If a virtual machine is running, it will be updated just as a physical machine would be updated • Users with admin privileges may be able to update at any time, depending on update configuration • If virtual machines are in a saved state or not running, they will be started by the host, updated, returned to the same state prior to the update, and a VM update notification sent • Consideration has to be given to update schedules to ensure that not all personal VMs that share the same compute and storage resources are updated at the same time