Terminal Services and Windows System Resource Manager

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Microsoft® Windows® System Resource Manager on Windows Server® 2008 allows you to control how CPU and memory resources are allocated to applications, services, and processes on the computer. Managing resources in this way improves system performance and reduces the chance that applications, services, or processes will take CPU or memory resources away from one another and slow down the performance of the computer. Managing resources also creates a more consistent and predictable experience for users of applications and services running on the computer.

You can use Windows System Resource Manager to manage multiple applications on a single computer or users on a computer on which Terminal Services is installed.

For more information about Windows System Resource Manager, see the Windows System Resource Manager Help in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=106538).

Who will be interested in this feature?

The ability to use Windows System Resource Manager to manage applications or users on a Windows Server 2008 terminal server will be of interest to organizations that currently use or are interested in using Terminal Services. Terminal Services provides technologies that enable access, from almost any computing device, to a server running Windows-based programs or the full Windows desktop. Users can connect to a terminal server to run programs and use network resources on that server.

What new functionality does this feature provide?

Windows System Resource Manager for Windows Server 2008 now includes an Equal_Per_Session resource-allocation policy. For more information, see Resource-Allocation Policies.

How should I prepare to deploy this feature?

To use Windows System Resource Manager to manage applications or users on a Windows Server 2008 terminal server, you will need to do the following:

  1. Install the Terminal Server role service.

  2. Install Windows System Resource Manager.

  3. Configure Windows System Resource Manager for Terminal Services.

Installing Terminal Server

Install the Terminal Server role service on your computer before installing and configuring Windows System Resource Manager.

The Terminal Server role service, known as the Terminal Server component in Windows Server® 2003, enables a Windows Server 2008-based server to host Windows-based programs or the full Windows desktop. From their own computing devices, users can connect to a terminal server to run programs and to use network resources on that server.

In Windows Server 2008, you must do the following to install the Terminal Server role service, and to configure the terminal server to host programs:

  1. Use the Server Manager snap-in to install the Terminal Server role service.

  2. Install programs on the server.

  3. Configure remote connection settings. This includes adding users and groups that need to connect to the terminal server.

For more information about installing the Terminal Server role service, see "Checklist: Terminal Server Installation Prerequisites" in the Terminal Server Help in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=101636).

Installing Windows System Resource Manager

To install Windows System Resource Manager

  1. Open Server Manager. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.

  2. Under Features Summary, click Add features.

  3. On the Select Features page, select the Windows System Resource Manager check box.

  4. A dialog box will appear informing you that Windows Internal Database also needs to be installed for Windows System Resource Manager to work properly. Click Add Required Features, and then click Next.

  5. On the Confirm Installation Selections page, verify that Windows Internal Database and Windows System Resource Manager will be installed, and then click Install.

  6. On the Installation Results page, confirm that the installation of Windows Internal Database and Windows System Resource Manager succeeded, and then click Close.

After you install Windows System Resource Manager, you need to start the Windows System Resource Manager service.

To start the Windows System Resource Manager service

  1. Open the Services snap-in. To open the Services snap-in, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.

  2. In the Services dialog box, in the Name column, right-click Windows System Resource Manager, and then click Start.

Configuring Windows System Resource Manager for Terminal Services

Windows System Resource Manager Snap-In

To configure Windows System Resource Manager, you use the Windows System Resource Manager snap-in.

To open the Windows System Resource Manager snap-in

  1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Windows System Resource Manager.

  2. In the Connect to computer dialog box, click This computer, and then click Connect to have the Windows System Resource Manager administer the computer that you are using.

Resource-Allocation Policies

Windows System Resource Manager uses resource-allocation policies to determine how computer resources, such as CPU and memory, are allocated to processes running on the computer. There are two resource-allocation policies that are specifically designed for computers running Terminal Services. The two Terminal Services-specific resource-allocation policies are:

  • Equal_Per_User

  • Equal_Per_Session

Note

The Equal_Per_Session resource-allocation policy is new for Windows Server 2008.

If you implement the Equal_Per_Session resource-allocation policy, each user session (and its associated processes) gets an equal share of the CPU resources on the computer.

To implement the Equal_Per_Session resource-allocation policy

  1. Open the Windows System Resource Manager snap-in.

  2. In the console tree, expand the Resource Allocation Policies node.

  3. Right-click Equal_Per_Session, and then click Set as Managing Policy.

  4. If a dialog box appears informing you that the calendar will be disabled, click OK.

For information about the Equal_Per_User resource-allocation policy and additional Windows System Resource Manager settings and configuration (such as creating a process-matching criterion by using user or group matching), see the Windows System Resource Manager Help in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=106538).

Monitoring Performance

You should collect data about the performance of your terminal server before and after implementing the Equal_Per_Session resource-allocation policy (or making any other Windows System Resource Manager-related configuration change). You can use Resource Monitor in the Windows System Resource Manager snap-in to collect and view data about the usage of hardware resources and the activity of system services on the computer.

Additional references

For information about other new features in Terminal Services, see the Terminal Services Role topic.