Installing TS Web Access Role Service

This chapter assumes that the Terminal Server role has already been
installed and configured. If this is not the case, refer first to the Windows
Server 2008 Terminal Services chapter for details on installing and
configuring the Terminal Server role.
Once the Terminal Server role is configured the next step is to add the TS
Web Access Service Role to the system. This is achieved by starting the
System Manager and selecting Roles from the right hand panel. As shown
below the Terminal Services role is already configured but the only Service
Role configured is the Terminal Server:



In order to add the TS Web Access role service click on the Add Role
Services link and select TS Web Access from the list of Role Services. TS
Web Access requires a number of other roles, primarily in terms of the IIS
web server role. As such, a second dialog will appear listing any additional
services which need to be installed alongside the TS Web Access service.
Click on the Add Role Services to ensure that these services are also
installed. Click the Next button to review information about the services
being installed. Click next to review the IIS services being installed (unless
IIS is already installed on the system). Click Next once again to move to the
confirmation screen and click on Install to initiate the installation. During the
installation process it will be necessary to restart the system and log in as
the same user to complete installation of the TS Web Access role service
and any dependencies.
Accessing the TS Web Access Page
Before accessing the TS Web Access web page it is important to note that
the service makes use of JScript (Microsoft's implementation of JavaScript).
Internet Explorer versions 7 and later disable JScript support by default, so it
will be necessary to enable this support to add the TS Web Access page as
a trusted site. To enable JScript support, launch IE, open the Tools menu
and select Internet Options. In the Internet Options dialog select the Security
tab and click on Custom Settings. In custom settings scroll down to Active
Scripting and click in the Enable toggle. Apply the changes and restart IE.
Once JScript has been enabled the TS Web Access page can be reached
using the following URL:
http://systemID/ts
Where systemID in the above URL is the name or IP address of the system
running Terminal Services. On successful connection the browser will
prompt for the user and password credentials. Once entered, the TS Web
Access page will appear, listing any remote applications available for access
on the local system (configuring RemoteApps for TS Web Access is covered
later in this chapter):



Clicking on the Remote Desktop tab will display a form allowing the user to
establish a virtual session with a desktop on any systems to which they have
appropriate permissions:


Configuring RemoteApps for TS Web Access
To configure applications such that they can be launched from the Windows
Server 2008 TS Web Access page they must first be installed for use with
Terminal Services and then configured as RemoteApps. Refer to the chapter
entitled Installing Applications for Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services
for details on how to install applications for use with terminal Services. Once
this has been achieved, applications are configured as RemoteApps using
the TS RemoteApp Manager which is accessed either from the Start -> All
Programs -> Terminal Services -> TS Remote App Manager or by running
remoteprograms.msc in a Run dialog or command prompt. Once launched,
the manager will appear as follows:



To configure an application as a RemoteApp, begin by clicking on the Add
RemoteApp Programs link in the Actions panel located in the top right hand
corner of the TS RemoteApp Manager screen. This will display the
RemoteApp wizard containing a list of currently installed applications. One or
more applications may be selected from the list before pressing the Next
button:

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It is essential that any RemoteApps be configured for access via TS Web
Access. To ensure this is the case, select the appropriate application from
the list and click on the Properties... button to open the RemoteApp
Properties dialog as shown below. Within this dialog, make sure that the
RemoteApp is available through TS Web Access box is checked:



Click OK to close the RemoteApp Properties dialog and then click Next in
the wizard to proceed to the Review Settings screen and Finish to complete
the configuration. Upon completion the applications will be listed under
RemoteApp Programs as illustrated below:



With the RemoteApp applications configured they will now appear on the TS
Web Access page ready to be invoked by a remote user. When launched,
these applications will appear within their own windows on the client desktop
just as if they are locally installed applications.