Parallels RAS 20 Administrator's Guide
ProductsSupportPartnersDocumentation
English
English
  • Parallels RAS 20 Administrator’s Guide
    • Introduction
      • Parallels RAS release history
      • About Parallels RAS
      • About this guide
      • What's new
      • Terms and abbreviations used in this guide
    • Installing Parallels RAS
      • System requirements
        • Hardware requirements
        • Software requirements
        • Microsoft license requirements
      • Install Parallels RAS
      • Log in and activate Parallels RAS
    • Getting Started with Parallels RAS
      • The Parallels RAS Console
      • Set up a basic Parallels RAS Farm
        • Add an RD Session Host
        • Publish applications
        • Invite users
        • Azure Virtual Desktop
        • Conclusion
    • Farm and Sites
      • Connecting to a Parallels RAS Farm
      • About Sites
      • Sites in the RAS Console
      • Adding a Site to the Farm
      • Replicating Site settings
      • Managing Licensing Site
      • Managing administrator accounts
        • Adding an administrator account
        • Administrator account permissions
        • Managing administrator accounts
        • Configure RAS Console idle sessions
        • Using instant messaging
        • Joining Customer Experience Program
    • RAS Connection Broker
      • Configuring RAS Connection Brokers
      • Secondary Connection Brokers
      • Managing Secondary Connection Brokers
      • Using computer management tools
    • RAS Secure Gateway
      • Overview
      • Adding a RAS Secure Gateway
      • Manually adding a RAS Secure Gateway
      • Checking the RAS Secure Gateway status
      • Configuring a RAS Secure Gateway
        • Enable or disable a Secure Gateway
        • Set public address
        • Set IP addresses for client connections
        • Site defaults (Secure Gateways)
        • Gateway mode and forwarding settings
        • Gateway network options
        • SSL/TLS encryption
          • SSL server configuration
        • Configure User Portal
          • Using Site defaults
          • Enable or disable User Portal
          • Client settings
          • Network load balancers access
        • Wyse ThinOS support
        • Secure Gateway security
        • Web request load balancing
      • Secure Gateway tunneling policies
      • Configure logging
      • Viewing Secure Gateway summary and metrics
      • Using computer management tools
    • RD Session Hosts
      • RD Session Host types
      • Add an RD Session Host
        • Installing the agent manually
      • Add a template-based RD Session Host
      • Manage RD Session Hosts
        • Manage host pools (RD Session Hosts)
          • Add host pools (RD Session Hosts)
          • Upgrading Agents (RD Session Hosts)
        • Manage templates (RD Session Hosts)
          • Creating an RD Session Host template
          • Assigning a template to a host pool (RD Session Host)
          • Managing RD Session Hosts based on a template
        • Manage hosts (RD Session Hosts)
          • Viewing RD Session Hosts
          • Check an RD Session Host Agent status
          • Change RD Session Host Site assignment
          • View and modify RD Session Host properties
            • Using default settings
            • General
            • Agent settings
            • User profile
            • Application Packages
            • Optimization
            • Desktop access
            • RDP printer
          • User profile
            • User Profile Disks
            • FSLogix
              • Configure managing existing profiles by Parallels RAS
              • FSLogix antivirus exclusions
          • Optimization
          • Drive redirection cache
          • Configure logging
        • Manage sessions (RD Session Host)
        • Using scheduler (RD Session Hosts)
      • Planning for high availability
      • Managing logons
      • Using computer management tools
      • Publishing from an RD Session Host
      • Viewing published resources
    • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
      • Supported providers
      • Add a provider
        • RAS Provider Agent information
          • RAS Provider Agent installation options
        • Add a hypervisor provider
        • Add a cloud Provider
          • Microsoft Azure
            • Introduction and prerequisites
            • Create Microsoft Entra ID application
            • Add Microsoft Azure as a Provider
            • Microsoft Azure and templates
          • Amazon Web Services
            • Introduction and prerequisites
            • Design considerations
            • Step 1. Creating an IAM user for programmatic access
            • Step 2. Adding AWS as a Provider
      • Manage VDI
        • Manage providers (VDI)
          • Installing RAS Provider Agent using the installer
          • Checking the RAS Provider Agent status
          • Using a Provider in multiple farms
        • Manage host pools (VDI)
          • Add host pools (VDI)
          • Delete host pools (VDI)
          • Add and delete host pool members
          • Using a wildcard to filter VMs
          • Managing hosts in pools
          • Upgrading Agents (VDI)
        • Manage templates (VDI)
          • Virtual desktop templates
          • Multi-provider template distribution
          • Creating a VM template
            • Step 1: Check and install the Agent
            • Step 2: Configure the template
              • Properties
              • Distribution
              • Advanced
              • Preparation
              • Optimization
              • License keys
              • Summary
              • Host naming
            • Parallels Test Template Wizard
            • Modifying template properties
          • How hosts are created from a template
          • Manually adding a host
          • Assigning a template to a host pool (VDI)
          • Template maintenance
          • Template status
          • Managing multi-provider template distribution
          • Managing template-based hosts
        • Manage hosts (VDI)
          • Persistent hosts
          • Configuring hosts to interact with RAS Provider Agent in a different subnet
        • Manage sessions (VDI)
        • Using scheduler (VDI)
      • Configure logging
      • Enabling high availability for VDI
      • Site defaults (VDI)
      • Using computer management tools
      • Viewing Provider summary
      • Remote PC pools in VDI
        • Adding a Provider
        • Adding Remote PCs to a Provider
        • Adding Remote PCs to a pool
        • Managing Remote PCs in a pool
        • Persistent Remote PCs
        • RAS Guest Agent installation options
    • Azure Virtual Desktop
      • Introduction
      • Prerequisites
      • Deploy Azure Virtual Desktop
        • Enable Azure Virtual Desktop and add a provider
        • Add workspaces
        • Add host pools (Azure Virtual Desktop)
      • Manage Azure Virtual Desktop
        • Manage providers (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage workspaces (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage host pools (Azure Virtual Desktop)
          • Upgrading Agents (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage templates (Azure Virtual Desktop)
          • Create a template
          • Manage existing templates
          • Assigning a template to a host pool (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage hosts (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage sessions (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Using scheduler (Azure Virtual Desktop)
      • Site defaults (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Site defaults for single-session hosts
        • Site defaults for multi-session hosts
      • Using Parallels Client with Azure Virtual Desktop
      • Verify the deployment
    • Remote PCs
      • Overview
      • Manage host pools (Remote PC)
      • Manage hosts (Remote PC)
        • Adding a Remote PC to a Farm
          • Admin-initiated Remote PC enrollment
          • Self-service Remote PC enrollment
        • Configuring a Remote PC
      • Viewing Remote PC summary
      • Using computer management tools
    • Publishing
      • Overview
      • Publishing a desktop
      • Publishing an application
      • Publishing local applications
      • Publishing an application with MSIX app attach
      • Publishing a web application
      • Publishing a network folder
      • Publishing a document
      • General management tasks
      • Manage published applications
      • Manage published desktops
      • Manage published documents
      • Manage folders
      • Site defaults (Publishing)
      • Using filtering rules
      • Configuring preferred routing
      • Understanding session prelaunch
      • Checking effective access
      • Specifying client settings
      • Quick keypad
    • Session Management
      • Overview
      • Session information
      • Monitoring settings
      • Managing sessions
      • The Resources tab
    • SSL Certificate Management
      • Generating a self-signed certificate
      • Generating a certificate signing request (CSR)
      • Let's Encrypt certificates
        • Requesting a Let's Encrypt Certificate
        • How Parallels RAS requests certificates from Let's Encrypt
      • Importing a certificate
      • Exporting a certificate
      • Assigning a certificate to Secure Gateways and HALBs
      • Auditing certificates
      • Permissions to manage certificates
      • Upgrading from an older RAS version
    • Connection and Authentication Settings
      • RAS Connection Broker connection settings
      • Remote session settings
      • Logon hours settings
      • Restricting access by Parallels Client type and build number
      • Multi-factor authentication
        • Adding an MFA provider
        • Using RADIUS
          • Connection
          • Attributes
          • Automation
          • Advanced
          • Configuring Azure MFA
          • Configuring Duo
        • Using TOTP
          • Configuring TOTP
          • Configuring Google Authenticator
          • Configuring Microsoft Authenticator
        • Configuring email OTP
        • Using Deepnet DualShield
          • Supported tokens
          • Configuring DualShield 5.6+ Authentication Platform
          • Configuring Parallels RAS to use the DualShield Authentication Platform
          • Connect to a RAS Farm
        • Using SafeNet
          • Configuring SafeNet
        • Configuring MFA rules
      • Allowing users to change domain password
      • Allowing users to discover RAS connections via email address
    • Load Balancing and HALB
      • Resource based & round robin load balancing
        • Configure CPU optimization
      • High availability load balancing (HALB)
        • Prerequisites
        • Deploying a Parallels HALB appliance
        • Adding a HALB virtual server
        • HALB Device status and version number
        • HALB maintenance
        • HALB connection and session information
        • Changing the HALB appliance password
    • RAS Multi-Tenant Architecture
      • Overview
      • Architecture description
        • Implementation overview
        • User connection flow
      • Deploying Tenant Broker and Tenants
        • Deploying Tenant Broker
        • Deploying a Tenant
          • Join a Tenant to Tenant Broker
          • Joining with a secret key
          • Verify join status
          • Configure network
          • Assign a public domain address
          • Configure an SSL certificate
          • Set up routing for incoming traffic
        • User authentication
        • Unjoining from Tenant Broker
      • Managing Tenants
        • Tenant configuration
        • Deleting a Tenant object
        • Opening a Tenant console
      • Shared Gateways
      • Third-party network load balancers
      • Web Client and Themes
      • Monitoring Tenants
      • Tenant Broker compatibility and updates
      • Upgrading from an older RAS version
      • Configuring notifications
      • Communication ports
    • SAML SSO Authentication
      • Introduction
      • System requirements
      • SAML basics
      • SAML configuration
        • Prerequisites
        • IdP side configuration
        • SP side configuration (RAS side)
        • Active Directory user account configuration
        • Configure certificate authority templates
          • Create an Enrollment Agent template
          • Create a smartcard logon certificate template
        • RAS Enrollment Server configuration
        • RAS Enrollment Server high availability
        • SAML integration examples and tips
          • User account attributes
          • Security tip
      • Parallels Client configuration
      • Parallels client policy configuration
      • Test the SAML SSO deployment
      • Error messages
    • Parallels Web Client and User Portal
      • Configure Web Client
      • Configure Themes
        • General settings
        • Access settings
        • Message settings
        • Web Client settings
          • URLs
          • Branding
          • Colors
          • Language bar
          • Messages
          • Input prompt
          • Gateway
          • Legal policies
        • Parallels Client for Windows settings
        • General Theme tasks
        • Delegating session management permissions
      • Open Parallels Web Client
      • Main menu options
      • Running remote applications and desktops
        • Using drag and drop functionality
        • Native clipboard experience
        • Other useful features
      • Auto login
      • Direct App access
      • Using the toolbar
        • Using the toolbar on desktop computers
        • Using the Toolbar on Mobile Devices
        • Using the remote clipboard
        • Hiding toolbar items
    • Universal Printing
      • Managing Universal Printing Settings
      • Universal Printing drivers
      • Font management
    • Universal Scanning
      • Managing Universal Scanning
      • Adding scanning applications
    • User Device Management and Client Policies
      • Inviting users to connect to Parallels RAS
      • Mass configuring user devices
      • Enabling Help Desk support for users
      • Enabling Help Desk support for custom administrators
      • Monitoring devices
        • Getting additional device information
      • Windows device groups
      • Managing Widows devices
        • Windows desktop replacement
      • Scheduling Windows devices & groups power cycles
      • Client policies
        • Add a new client policy
        • Configure session settings
          • Appearance
          • Connection
          • Display
          • Printing
          • Scanning
          • Audio
          • Keyboard
          • Local devices and resources
          • Experience
          • Network
          • Server authentication
          • Advanced settings
        • Configure client policy options
        • Configure control settings
        • Configure Gateway redirection
        • Client policy backward compatibility
        • Policy information in Parallels Client
      • Configuring remote file transfer
        • Configure file transfer to a server
        • Configure file transfer in User Portal
        • Configure file transfer for a client policy
    • Reporting
      • System requirements
      • Install Microsoft SQL Server
        • Install Microsoft SQL Server 2016 or earlier
        • Install Microsoft SQL Server 2017 or 2019
        • Install Microsoft SQL Server 2022
      • Install Parallels RAS Reporting
      • Running Parallels RAS Reports
      • GDPR compliance
    • Performance monitor
      • Overview
      • Install RAS Performance Monitor
      • Using Parallels RAS Performance Monitor
      • Configure RAS Performance Monitor security
      • Updating RAS Performance Monitor
    • Common Management Tasks
      • Recovery – add a root administrator
      • Host name resolution
      • Computer management tools
      • Site information
      • Site settings
      • Using MSIX application packages
      • Using template versions
      • Settings audit
      • Upgrading RAS agents
      • Licensing
      • Configure HTTP proxy settings
      • System event notifications
        • Configuring notification handlers
        • Configuring notification scripts
        • Configuring SMTP server connection for event notifications
      • RAS session variables
      • Resolving z-order issues
      • Maintenance and backup
        • Importing and exporting Farm settings from the command line
      • Problem reporting and troubleshooting
      • Logging
      • Suggest a feature
    • Parallels RAS Management Portal
      • Overview
      • Prerequisites
      • Installation
      • Log in to RAS Management Portal
      • Configure RAS Web Administration Service
      • RAS Management Portal user interface
    • Parallels RAS APIs
      • RAS PowerShell API
      • RAS REST API
        • Installation
        • Permissions
        • Getting started
        • Logging in and sending requests
        • More information
      • RAS Web Client API and Parallels Client URL scheme
    • Appendix
      • Microsoft license requirements in Parallels RAS
      • Port reference
        • Parallels Client
        • Web browsers
        • HALB
        • RAS Secure Gateway
        • RAS Connection Broker
        • RAS Console
        • SSRS
        • RAS Reporting
        • RAS Web Administration Service (REST/Management Portal)
        • RAS PowerShell
        • RAS Provider Agent
        • RAS Enrollment Server
        • RAS RD Session Host Agent
        • RAS Guest Agent
        • RAS Remote PC Agent
        • Tenant Broker
        • Active Directory and Domain Services ports
        • Azure Virtual Desktop
      • RAS performance counters
Powered by GitBook

© 2025 Parallels International GmbH. All rights reserved.

On this page
  • LB Gateway payload
  • LB SSL payload
  • Device Manager
  • Devices
  • Modifying Virtual Server and configuring advanced options

Was this helpful?

Export as PDF
  1. Parallels RAS 20 Administrator’s Guide
  2. Load Balancing and HALB
  3. High availability load balancing (HALB)

Adding a HALB virtual server

PreviousDeploying a Parallels HALB applianceNextHALB Device status and version number

Was this helpful?

To add a HALB virtual server:

  1. In the RAS console, navigate to Farm > <Site> > HALB.

  2. On the Virtual Servers tab in the right pane, click Tasks > Add. The HALB Configuration wizard opens.

  3. Make sure the Enable HALB option is selected.

  4. Type a name for this virtual server and an optional description.

  5. In the Public address field, type a public FQDN or IP addresses of this server. This is used by the Preferred routing functionality for redirecting client connections. Please see .

  6. In the Virtual IP section, specify the virtual IP address properties which will be used for incoming client connections by a HALB device that you will assign to this Virtual Server later.

  7. In the Settings section, select one or more of the following options. Note that at least one "LB" option must be selected. If you skip an option at this time, you can add it later in the virtual server properties dialog:

    • LB Gateway Payload: Enables load balancing of normal (unsecured) gateway connections.

    • LB SSL Payload: Enables load balancing of SSL connections.

    • Client Management: Enables management of Windows client devices connected through HALB.

  8. Click Next.

From this point forward, depending on the payloads that you selected in the previous step, a wizard page will open where you can configure the payload properties. These pages are described below.

LB Gateway payload

Configure load balancing for normal connections:

  1. Set the port number used by HALB devices to forward traffic to RAS Secure Gateways. The port is configured on a gateway. The default port is 80.

  2. In the Gateways list, select a RAS Secure Gateway to be load balanced. Please note that only one IP address per gateway can be used. If you have more than one entry for the same gateway with different IP addresses, you can select just one.

LB SSL payload

Configure load balancing for SSL connections:

  1. Set the port number used by HALB devices to forward SSL traffic to RAS Secure Gateways. The port is configured on a gateway. The default port is 443.

  2. Select the SSL mode from Passthrough or SSL Offloading. By default, SSL connections are tunneled directly to gateways (referred to as Passthrough) where the SSL decryption process is performed.

    The SSL Offloading mode requires an SSL certificate to be assigned to HALB. When you select it, click Configure and specify the following:

    • Accepted SSL Version: Select an SSL version.

    • Cipher Strength: Select the cipher strength of your choice. To specify a custom cipher, select Custom and then specify the cipher in the Cipher field.

    • The Use ciphers according to server preference option is ON by default. You can use client preferences by disabling this option.

    • The <All matching usage> option will use any certificate configured to be used by HALB. When you create a certificate, you specify the "Usage" property where you can select "Gateway", "HALB", or both. If this property has the "HALB" option selected, it can be used with HALB. Please note that if you select this option, but not a single certificate matching it exists, you will see a warning and will have to create a certificate first.

  3. Select a gateway to be load balanced. Note that only one IP address per gateway can be used.

Device Manager

Configure Windows client device management, select a gateway that will manage Windows client devices. Note that only one IP address per gateway can be used.

Devices

To assign HALB devices to the Virtual Server:

  1. Finally, click Finish to save the Virtual Server settings and close the wizard.

The new virtual server will appear in the list in the RAS Console.

Modifying Virtual Server and configuring advanced options

To modify the Virtual Server settings, right-click it and choose Properties. The tabs in the Properties dialog have the same options as the wizard pages described above. The only exception is the Advanced tab, which is described below.

To view and configure advanced Virtual Server options, select the Advanced tab. The options that you see on this tab are applied to all HALB devices assigned to a Virtual Server. This list gives you a simple access to the HALB device options without logging in to the virtual machine directly. Please note that changing any of these values may potentially lead to undesired results. You should only change them according to specific network requirements.

The following advanced settings are available:

Option
Default value
Description

Enable RDP UDP tunneling

Enable

Enables RDP clients to transfer RDP over UDP traffic through HALB devices.

Minimum TCP connections

2000

Sets the maximum number of concurrent TCP connections.

Client inactivity timeout (s)

150

Maximum inactivity time on the client side in seconds.

Gateway connection timeout (s)

30

Maximum time to wait for a connection attempt to a gateway to succeed in seconds.

Client connection queue timeout (s)

30

When a device's Max TCP connections is reached, connections are left pending in a queue for the period of this timeout (seconds).

Gateway inactivity timeout (s)

150

Set the maximum inactivity time for gateways in seconds.

Amount of TCP connections per second

1000

Set a limit on the number of new connections accepted per second on an HALB device.

Gateway health check intervals (s)

5

Set the interval between two consecutive health checks in seconds.

VRRP virtual router ID

15

Used to differentiate multiple instances of VRRP running on the same network.

VRRP authentication password

-

Enable password authentication for VRRP communication between HALB devices used by for failover synchronization.

VRRP broadcast interval (m)

1

Minimum time interval in minutes for refreshing gratuitous ARPs while device is in active state.

VRRP health script check interval (s)

2

Set the interval between invocations of the script that ensures local HALB services are up and running (seconds).

VRRP health script check timeout (s)

10

Execution timeout for the script that ensures local HALB services are up and running (seconds).

VRRP advertisement interval (s)

1

The time interval between the advertisement packets that are being sent between HALB devices in the same VRRP group (seconds).

Enable OS updates

Disable

Allow HALB devices to automatically update OS packages.

Keep existing load balancing settings

Disable

Keep load balancing configuration currently present on the device and do not overwrite with new settings.

Keep existing VRRP/keepalived

Disable

Keep VRRP/keepalived configuration currently present on the device and do not overwrite with new settings.

Certificates: Select a desired certificate. For the information on how to create a new certificate and make it appear in this list, see the chapter.

Click Tasks > Add and select or specify a HALB device. If you haven't deployed any HALB devices (appliances) yet, you can still save the Virtual Server configuration and assign HALB devices to it later. At least two HALB devices are recommended per Virtual Server. For more info, see . HALB device priority is set by positioning a device in the list. The device at the top is the primary HALB device. Devices under it are secondary HALB devices. To promote a device to primary, simply move it to the top of the list.

Configuring preferred routing
SSL Certificate Management
High Availability Load Balancing (HALB)