Windows Server: Install and Activate an RDS Session Host without a Connection Broker

Remote Desktop Services (RDS) allows users to access applications, desktops, and data hosted on remote servers. Users can connect from various devices to a centralized environment that provides them with a consistent and familiar experience regardless of their physical location.

Following are the steps required to implement a basic RDS infrastructure where all the essential roles are installed on a single workgroup server.

1. In Server Manager, Click Manage and then Add Roles and Features.
2. Click Next to skip the "Before you Begin" screen.
3. Select a Role-based or Feature-based installation and click Next.
4. On the Select Destination Server screen, select the local hostname as the destination server.
5. On the Select Server Roles page, select Remote Desktop Services and click Next.
6. Click Next again to skip the "Features selection" screen and then again to skip the "RDS Overview" screen.
7. At the Selected Role Services screen, select the Remote Desktop Licensing role and when prompted, add the required features.
8. Also, click the Remote Desktop Session Host role and one more time, click to add the required features.
9. Click Next and at the Confirmation screen, click Install.
10. Wait for the installation to finish. When it is finished, click Close to exit the Wizard and restart the computer.

Configure RDS Licensing.

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor by running gpedit.msc
2. Expand Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Licensing.
3. Double-click Use the specified Remote Desktop license servers.
4. Click the Enabled radio button and then enter the computer name or IP address of the localhost.
5. Click Ok when finished.
6. While still in Group Policy Editor, double-click Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode
7. Click the Enabled ration button and then ensure that the Licensing mode is set to Per Device. Click Ok.

Review the Licensing Changes:

1. In Server Manager, click Tools > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser (lsdiag.msc)
2. In the Remote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser MMC, notice that:

Activate the License Server and Install RDS Client Access Licenses (CALs)

1. In Server Manager again, click Tools > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Licensing Manager (licmgr.exe).
2. Right-click the License server and click Properties.
3. Note the configuration for the Connection Method.

4. For this guide, let us leave the default of Automatic connection, click Cancel.
5. Right-click the License server again and click Activate Server.
6. At the wizard, click Next on the welcome screen.
7. Leave the default for the Connection method and click Next.
8. Enter the Required Information and click Next.
9. Enter the Optional Information and click Next.
10. At the Completing wizard screen, notice the message indicating the server was successfully activated.
11. Click to clear the Start Install Licenses Wizard now checkbox and then click Finish.

Back in Remote Desktop Licensing Manager, the green checkmark indicates that the license server is now activated.

Install licenses.

1. Back in Remote Desktop Licensing Manager, right click the server and click Install Licenses.
2. Click Next at the welcome screen.
3. Ensure that the correct license program is selected. As seen in the description, this license program sees the method through which the RDS CALs were purchased. This information is sometimes digital and available using email to the person that made the purchase or through a website, but it can also be in physical documentation in the form of product keys.
4. Click Next and enter the pertinent information.
5. Click Add. You can review the status and type of the RDS CALs and then click Next.
6. At the Completing the install licenses wizard, click Finish.

The newly installed licenses are now visible in Remote Desktop Licensing Manager.

Confirm RDS deployment licensing status.

1. Return to Remote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser, click Refresh, and notice that there are not any warnings anymore and all the information about the deployment is shown correctly.

The deployment is now ready to be put in production.

Next steps are to create the user accounts, add these to the Remote Desktop Users integrated group, setting up group policies and installing the applications that users would access when connected to the RDS session host.