Understanding Deployment Scenario Diagrams

Terms and Abbreviations

Deployment scenario diagrams include terms and abbreviations, which are explained in the following table.

CB	RAS Connection Broker
SG	RAS Secure Gateway (including User Portal)
Private SG	Private RAS Secure Gateway (used for direct client connections)
RDSH, RDS host RDSH Agent	RD Session Host (formerly Terminal Server) RAS RD Session Host Agent installed on an RD Session Host.
Remote PC	A remote Windows computer with RAS Remote PC Agent installed
VDI	Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (a VDI host with a hypervisor running virtual machines). Each virtual machine must have RAS Guest Agent installed.
HALB	High Availability Load Balancing. An appliance that provides load balancing for RAS Secure Gateways.
Converted PC	A PC with Windows converted to a thin-client-like OS.
Enrollment Server	RAS Enrollment Server (an essential part of SAML SSO Authentication functionality).

Icons

The following table describes the icons used in deployment scenario diagrams.

Parallels RAS Server Components
	A server hosting RAS Connection Broker. May also host other Parallels RAS components depending on a deployment.
	RAS Secure Gateway (including User Portal) used for secure (SSL) client connections.
	Private RAS Secure Gateway, used for direct client connections.
	RD Session Host with RAS RD Session Host Agent installed.
	A remote Windows computer with RAS Remote PC Agent installed. Not to be confused with Converted PC described below (a similar icon in red color).
	Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (a VDI host with a hypervisor running virtual machines). Each virtual machine must have RAS Guest Agent installed.
	High Availability Load Balancing. An appliance that provides load balancing for RAS Secure Gateways.
Parallels RAS Client Devices
	A desktop computer (Windows, Linux, Mac) with Parallels Client installed.
	A PC with Windows converted to a thin-client-like OS. Not to be confused with a remote PC described above (a similar icon in orange color).
	A converted PC (same as above) with Kiosk mode enabled.
	HTML5 enabled web browser.
	Mobile device (iOS, Android).
Other Components
	Active Directory, DNS, and DHCP server(s).
	Microsoft SQL Server database.
	RAS Reporting and SQL Server Reporting Services (installed on the same server).
	RADIUS server (used for second-level authentication).
	File server for storing user profiles and redirected folders.
	Firewall (ports 80 and 443 are open).
	On-premises VPN gateway.
	RAS Enrollment Server.
	Azure Load Balancer and/or Azure VPN Gateway.

Diagram Layout

To understand the diagram layout, consider the following sample diagram:

The left side of the diagram displays client devices that can connect to Parallels RAS. In the example above, the clients are (from top to bottom):

• HTML5 enabled web browser

• A converted Windows PC running in Kiosk mode

• A mobile device (iOS, Android)

The Location rectangle denotes a physical location, such as an office.

Firewall, represented by a brick wall, is responsible for network protection. Please note that if the scenario description doesn't include any specifics about DMZ or firewall(s), it is up to the administrator or network security officer to decide how network protection should be implemented.

The Farm rectangle represents a Parallels RAS farm, which is comprised of one or more sites.

The Site 1 rectangle represents a site with individual servers and components. In the example above, the site has a single server with RAS Connection Broker (CB), RAS Secure Gateway (SG), and RAS RD Session Host Agent installed.

The LAN bar represents a local area network with the following computers and servers connected to it:

• Desktop computer

• Converted Windows PC running in Kiosk mode.

• File server

• Active Directory, DNS, and DHCP server(s)

• RADIUS server

The lines between icons denote the communication channels between individual components.

The Installation Notes section describes how a component (or components) must be installed on a corresponding server. The following installation methods are used to install Parallels RAS server components:

• Parallels RAS Installer (standard installation). This is a standard MSI installer package that you run in Windows to install an application.

• Windows Installer (custom installation). This is the same type of installer as described above, but you must choose the Custom installation type, which allows you to select which component(s) you want to install.

• Push Installation. A component is installed remotely from the RAS console by pushing the MSI installer packages to a remote server and then performing an unattended installation on it.

• Virtual appliance. A preconfigured virtual appliance for VMware or XenServer. You can download a virtual appliance for the hypervisor you are using from the Parallels website by visiting the following URL: http://www.parallels.com/products/ras/download/server/links/