Terminal Services

What is Terminal Services?

Terminal Services, also often called Remote Desktop, lets multiple people use a single copy of Microsoft Windows on a centralised server. Everyone gets their own Desktop, My Documents, etc and can access the server from their desktop / laptop computer, from home or across the Internet. In fact, you can even connect to the server using a “thin-client”. A “thin-client” is a very small computer with no hard disk or other moving parts. A keyboard, mouse and monitor connect to it in the usual way. Because the thin-client has no hard disk it’s not susceptible to virus or software problems.

A typical thin client

How does it work?

What you type and what you do with the mouse is sent to the server across the network. What’s displayed on screen is sent back to your computer or thin-client and displayed on your monitor. All the actual “work”, running applications, etc is done by the server allowing your users to share the power of the server.

When would I use Terminal Services?

If you have a large number of users all using programs such as Microsoft Office, then you have ideal candidates to use Terminal Services. It’s also ideal for Telecommuters as the thin-client takes up very little space and uses very little energy. As long as the staff member has a broadband connection that’s all that’s needed to get them up and running.

Why would I use Terminal Services?

Terminal Services from an end user's point of view is fantastic because it just works, it boots quickly and it’s centralised. This means that if you drive from your office in Wolverhampton to your office in Watford, you can sit down at any thin-client and begin working instantly. It’s great from an IT point of view because after the initial setup work is done there’s actually very little work needed to manage and add programs to the server. For example, if you decided to upgrade from Office 2003 to Office 2007, or install a new application or update, it only has to be installed once on the Terminal Server whereas, with normal PCs it would be once per PC. This gives the IT department more time to address other issues. Finally it’s cost effective. You don’t have to buy a machine capable of running the latest and greatest applications and then use it for email and word processing for the next 5 years. If you’re using thin-clients you’ll benefit from lower purchase and running costs and dramatically reduced administration time. Alternatively, if you re-use old PCs you’ll be reducing your capital expenditure and improving the return on your original investment.