Parallels RAS Best Practices Guide
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  • Introduction
  • Active Directory and Infrastructure Services Considerations
    • Active Directory
    • DNS
    • DHCP
    • File Services
  • Installation Procedures
    • Windows Server Requirements
    • Windows Server Roles & Features
  • Remote Access Configuration
    • Remote Desktop and Terminal Server Performance Settings
    • General Performance Related Settings
    • CPU Optimization
    • Optimizations
    • Configure RemoteFX
      • General Purpose RemoteFX Settings
        • Remote FX Settings for Windows Server 2008 R2
        • RemoteFX settings for Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2
        • RemoteFX Settings for Windows Workstations Running Remote PC Agents and Guest Agents
        • Configure RemoteFX Adaptive Graphics
        • Configure RemoteFX Lossless Graphics
        • Use the Hardware Default Graphics Adapter for all Remote Desktop Services Sessions
        • Remote FX USB Redirection
        • Enable Audio / Recording Redirection
        • Audio and Video Playback
        • Time Zone Redirection
        • Device and Resource Redirection
        • Remote Session Environment (H.264, RemoteFX, Adaptive Acceleration)
        • Windows Server 2008 R2 RemoteFX Compatibility
    • RDP Optimizations
      • For Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2
      • For Windows Server versions 2012/2012 R2/2016/2019
    • RDP Security
    • Locking Down TS/RDS Host
    • Disable Administrative Components
    • Antivirus Exclusions
  • Printer and Drive Mapping
    • Printer and Drive Mapping
    • Printing/Scanning Compression
  • Miscellaneous
    • Load Balancing
    • Groups
    • Filtering
    • Disable Application Monitoring
    • Server Reboots
    • Backups
    • Large File Upload / Download via Drive Redirection
    • Remove Gateway Browsing from Your LAN
    • Remove Self-Signed Certificate Error
    • Remote PCs
    • VDI
  • Parallels RAS User Portal
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  1. Installation Procedures

Windows Server Roles & Features

PreviousWindows Server RequirementsNextRemote Access Configuration

Last updated 9 months ago

In order to install Parallels RAS on Windows servers, there are some required prerequisite to be installed from the Server Roles and Features.

  • RAS Connection Broker can be installed on any supported version of Windows. The Connection Broker does not require any specific Windows roles or features.

  • The Secure Gateway can be installed on any supported version of Windows. The Secure Gateway does not require any specific Windows roles or features.

  • RAS RD Session Host Agent requires the Terminal Server Role on Windows Server 2008.

RAS RD Session Host Agent is supported on the following operating systems:

  • Windows Server 2008 up to Windows Server 2019

  • Windows Server 2016 and newer must be installed using the "Desktop Experience" installation option.

  • Windows Server 2012 R2 — Server Core installation option is not supported.

In Parallels RAS v15 and newer, the Remote Desktop Session Host role can be automatically installed using the "Add Terminal Server" capability in the RAS Console.

Parallels RAS does not replace the need for Microsoft Client Access Licenses (CALs). A Windows Remote Desktop/Terminal Server License server is required.

Except for very small, single-server environments, the License Server should not be installed on the production Terminal Servers or Remote Desktop Session Hosts.

More information on TS/RDS CALs can be found at https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753650(v=ws.11).aspx.

Ensure that Desktop Experience is installed on all Terminal Servers

When a user connects a Parallels RAS server, the desktop that exists on the RD Session Host server is reproduced in the remote session by default. To make the remote session look and feel more like the user's local Windows desktop, install the Desktop Experience feature on an RD Session Host server that is running Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 2012, Windows 2012 R2. Note that Windows 2016 has the Desktop Experience feature enabled by default on RDS host. This also makes the graphics look better using the Windows Aero theme.

Desktop Experience is a feature that you can install from Server Manager.

Once Desktop Experience is enabled, you will notice that applications display richer graphics and a remote desktop looks more like the client's local desktop with themes and other Windows client components.