Step 1: Setting Up the Contoso Domain

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2

To prepare your RemoteApp and Desktop Connection test environment in the CONTOSO domain, you must complete the following tasks:

  • Configure the RD Session Host server (RDSH-SRV).

  • Configure the client computer (CONTOSO-CLNT)

  • Configure the Remote Desktop Connection Broker (RD Connection Broker) server (RDCB-SRV).

  • Configure the Remote Desktop Web Access (RD Web Access) server (RDWA-SRV).

Use the followings table as a reference when setting up the appropriate computer names, operating systems, and network settings that are required to complete the steps in this guide.

Important

Before you configure your computers with static Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, we recommend that you first complete Windows product activation while each of your computers still has Internet connectivity. You should also install any available critical security updates from Windows Update (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=47370).

Computer name Operating system requirement IP settings DNS settings

CONTOSO-DC

Windows Server 2008 R2

IP address:

10.0.0.1

Subnet mask:

255.255.255.0

Default gateway:

10.0.0.1

Configured by DNS server role

RDSH-SRV

Windows Server 2008 R2

IP address:

10.0.0.2

Subnet mask:

255.255.255.0

Default gateway:

10.0.0.1

Preferred:

10.0.0.1

CONTOSO-CLNT

Windows 7

IP address:

10.0.0.3

Subnet mask:

255.255.255.0

Default gateway:

10.0.0.1

Preferred:

10.0.0.1

RDCB-SRV

Windows Server 2008 R2

IP address:

10.0.0.5

Subnet mask:

255.255.255.0

Default gateway:

10.0.0.1

Preferred:

10.0.0.1

RDWA-SRV

Windows Server 2008 R2

IP address:

10.0.0.6

Subnet mask:

255.255.255.0

Default gateway:

10.0.0.1

Preferred:

10.0.0.1

Configure the RD Session Host server (RDSH-SRV)

To configure the server RDSH-SRV, you will:

  • Configure a certificate that is used to digitally sign the RDP file.

  • Add the thumbprint of the certificate that is used to digitally sign the RDP file to the Default Domain Group Policy setting by using the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC).

First, configure a certificate that is used to digitally sign the RDP file by using RemoteApp Manager. This procedure assumes that you have already imported a certificate to the Personal certificate store of the computer account.

To configure a certificate that is used to digitally sign the RDP file

  1. Log on to RDSH-SRV as CONTOSO\Administrator.

  2. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Remote Desktop Services, and then click RemoteApp Manager.

  3. Under the Overview section, click Change (next to Digital Signature Settings).

  4. Select the Sign with a digital certificate check box.

  5. Click Change.

  6. On the Confirm Certificate page, select the appropriate certificate, and then click OK.

  7. Click OK to close the RemoteApp Deployment Settings dialog box.

Finally, you must add the thumbprint of the certificate that is used to digitally sign the RDP file to the Default Domain Group Policy setting. This is required so that the trusted publisher warning dialog box is not shown to the user each time the RemoteApp program is started.

To add the certificate thumbprint to the Default Domain Group Policy setting

  1. Log on to CONTOSO-DC as CONTOSO\Administrator.

  2. Open the GPMC. To open the GPMC, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Group Policy Management.

  3. Expand Forest: contoso.com, expand Domains, and then expand contoso.com.

  4. Right-click Default Domain Policy, and then click Edit.

  5. Navigate to Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Connection Client.

  6. Double-click Specify SHA1 thumbprints of certificates representing trusted .rdp publishers.

  7. Select the Enabled option.

  8. In the Comma-separated list of SHA1 trusted certificate thumbprints box, type the certificate thumbprint that is used to digitally sign the RDP file, and then click OK.

Configure the client computer (CONTOSO-CLNT)

To configure the client computer CONTOSO-CLNT, you will:

  • Import the digital certificate that is used by RDSH-SRV to the Trusted Root Certification Authorities certificate store of the computer account.

  • Import the digital certificate that is used by RDSH-SRV to the Trusted Root Certification Authorities certificate store of the computer account on CONTOSO-CLNT.

To import a digital certificate to the Trusted Root Certification Authorities certificate store

  1. Log on to CONTOSO-CLNT as CONTOSO\Administrator.

  2. Click Start, and then click Run.

  3. Type mmc, and then click OK.

  4. Click File, and then click Add/Remove Snap-in.

  5. In the Available snap-ins box, click Certificates, and then click Add.

  6. Select the Computer account option, click Next, and then click Finish.

  7. Click OK.

  8. Expand Certificates (Local Computer).

  9. Right-click Trusted Root Certification Authorities, point to All Tasks, and then click Import.

  10. On the Welcome to the Certificate Import Wizard page, click Next.

  11. Click Browse.

  12. Click Personal Information Exchange (*.pfx, *.p12) to filter the file results to show only PFX and P12 files.

Important

You must import a PFX certificate file that includes the private key.

  1. Navigate to the folder where the certificate is located, click the certificate, and the click Open.

  2. Click Next.

  3. In the Password box, type the password for the PFX file, and then click Next.

  4. Click Next, and then click Finish.

Configure the RD Connection Broker server (RDCB-SRV)

To configure the server RDCB-SRV, you must:

  • Install Windows Server 2008 R2.

  • Configure TCP/IP properties.

  • Join RDCB-SRV to the contoso.com domain.

  • Install the RD Connection Broker role service.

  • Import the digital certificate that is used by RDSH-SRV to the Personal certificate store of the computer account.

First, install Windows Server 2008 R2 as a stand-alone server.

To install Windows Server 2008 R2

  1. Start your computer by using the Windows Server 2008 R2 product CD.

  2. When prompted for a computer name, type RDCB-SRV.

  3. Follow the rest of the instructions that appear on your screen to finish the installation.

Next, configure TCP/IP properties so that RDCB-SRV has a static IP address of 10.0.0.5. In addition, configure the DNS server by using the IP address of CONTOSO-DC (10.0.0.1).

To configure TCP/IP properties

  1. Log on to RDCB-SRV with the RDCB-SRV\Administrator account or another user account in the local Administrators group.

  2. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Network and Internet, click Network and Sharing Center, click Change adapter settings, right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.

  3. On the Networking tab, click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and then click Properties.

  4. Click Use the following IP address. In the IP address box, type 10.0.0.5. In the Subnet mask box, type 255.255.255.0. In the Default gateway box, type 10.0.0.1.

  5. Click Use the following DNS server addresses. In the Preferred DNS server box, type 10.0.0.1.

  6. Click OK, and then close the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box.

Next, join RDCB-SRV to the contoso.com domain.

To join RDCB-SRV to the contoso.com domain

  1. Click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Properties.

  2. Under Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings, click Change settings.

  3. On the Computer Name tab, click Change.

  4. In the Computer Name/Domain Changes dialog box, under Member of, click Domain, and then type contoso.com.

  5. Click More, and in the Primary DNS suffix of this computer box, type contoso.com.

  6. Click OK, and then click OK again.

  7. When a Computer Name/Domain Changes dialog box appears prompting you for administrative credentials, provide the credentials for CONTOSO\Administrator, and then click OK.

  8. When a Computer Name/Domain Changes dialog box appears welcoming you to the contoso.com domain, click OK.

  9. When a Computer Name/Domain Changes dialog box appears telling you that the computer must be restarted, click OK, and then click Close.

  10. Click Restart Now.

Next, install the RD Connection Broker role service by using Server Manager.

To install the RD Connection Broker role service

  1. Log on to RDCB-SRV as CONTOSO\Administrator.

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

  3. Under the Roles Summary heading, click Add Roles.

  4. On the Before You Begin page, click Next.

  5. On the Select Server Roles page, click the Remote Desktop Services check box, and then click Next.

  6. On the Remote Desktop Services page, click Next.

  7. On the Select Role Services page, select the Remote Desktop Connection Broker check box, and then click Next.

  8. On the Confirm Installation Selections page, verify that the RD Connection Broker role service is listed, and then click Install.

  9. After the installation is complete, click Close.

Next, import the digital certificate that is used by RDSH-SRV to the Personal certificate store of the computer account on RDCB-SRV.

To import a digital certificate to the Personal certificate store

  1. Log on to RDCB-SRV as CONTOSO\Administrator.

  2. Click Start, and then click Run.

  3. Type mmc, and then click OK.

  4. Click File, and then click Add/Remove Snap-in.

  5. In the Available snap-ins box, click Certificates, and then click Add.

  6. Select the Computer account option, click Next, and then click Finish.

  7. Click OK.

  8. Expand Certificates (Local Computer).

  9. Right-click Personal, point to All Tasks, and then click Import.

  10. On the Welcome to the Certificate Import Wizard page, click Next.

  11. Click Browse.

  12. Click Personal Information Exchange (*.pfx, *.p12) to filter the file results to show only PFX and P12 files.

Important

You must import a PFX certificate file that includes the private key.

  1. Navigate to the folder where the certificate is located, click the certificate, and then click Open.

  2. Click Next.

  3. In the Password box, type the password for the PFX file, and then click Next.

  4. Click Next, and then click Finish.

Finally, configure a digital certificate that is used to digitally sign the RDP file.

To configure a certificate that is used to digitally sign the RDP file

  1. Open Remote Desktop Connection Manager. To open Remote Desktop Connection Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Remote Desktop Services, and then click Remote Desktop Connection Manager.

  2. Under Virtual Desktops: Resources and Configuration, click Specify (next to Digital Certificate).

  3. On the Digital Signature tab, select the Sign with a Digital Certificate check box.

  4. Click Select.

  5. In the Confirm Certificate dialog box, click the certificate that you want to use for signing the RDP files, and then click OK.

Configure the RD Web Access server (RDWA-SRV)

To configure the RD Web Access server by using Windows Server 2008 R2, you must:

  • Install Windows Server 2008 R2.

  • Configure TCP/IP properties.

  • Join RDWA-SRV to the contoso.com domain.

  • Install the RD Web Access role service.

  • Add the thumbprint of the certificate that is used for the RD Web Access server to the Default Domain Group Policy setting by using the GPMC.

First, install Windows Server 2008 R2 on a stand-alone server.

To install Windows Server 2008 R2

  1. Start your computer by using the Windows Server 2008 R2 product CD.

  2. When prompted for a computer name, type RDWA-SRV.

  3. Follow the rest of the instructions that appear on your screen to finish the installation.

Next, configure TCP/IP properties so that RDWA-SRV has an IPv4 static IP address of 10.0.0.6.

To configure TCP/IP properties

  1. Log on to RDWA-SRV with the RDWA-SRV\Administrator account.

  2. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Network and Internet, click Network and Sharing Center, click Change adapter settings, right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.

  3. On the Networking tab, click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and then click Properties.

  4. Click Use the following IP address. In the IP address box, type 10.0.0.6. In the Subnet mask box, type 255.255.255.0. In the Default gateway box, type 10.0.0.1.

  5. Click Use the following DNS server addresses. In the Preferred DNS server box, type 10.0.0.1.

  6. Click OK, and then close the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box.

Next, join RDWA-SRV to the contoso.com domain.

To join RDWA-SRV to the contoso.com domain

  1. Click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Properties.

  2. Under Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings, click Change settings.

  3. On the Computer Name tab, click Change.

  4. In the Computer Name/Domain Changes dialog box, under Member of, click Domain, and then type contoso.com.

  5. Click More, and in the Primary DNS suffix of this computer box, type contoso.com.

  6. Click OK, and then click OK again.

  7. When a Computer Name/Domain Changes dialog box appears prompting you for administrative credentials, provide the credentials for CONTOSO\Administrator, and then click OK.

  8. When a Computer Name/Domain Changes dialog box appears welcoming you to the contoso.com domain, click OK.

  9. When a Computer Name/Domain Changes dialog box appears telling you that the computer must be restarted, click OK, and then click Close.

  10. Click Restart Now.

Next, install the RD Web Access role service by using Server Manager.

To install the RD Web Access role service

  1. Log on to RDWA-SRV as CONTOSO\Administrator.

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

  3. Under the Roles Summary heading, click Add Roles.

  4. On the Before You Begin page, click Next.

  5. On the Select Server Roles page, select the Remote Desktop Services check box, and then click Next.

  6. On the Remote Desktop Services page, click Next.

  7. On the Select Role Services page, select the Remote Desktop Web Access check box.

  8. Review the information about adding Web Server (IIS) and the Remote Server Administration Tools, click Add Required Role Services, and then click Next.

  9. On the Web Server (IIS) page, click Next.

  10. On the Select Role Services page, click Next, accepting the Web Server (IIS) default settings.

  11. On the Confirm Installation Selections page, verify that the Web Server and RD Web Access role services are listed, and then click Install.

  12. After installation is complete, click Close.

Finally, you must add the thumbprint of the RD Web Access server certificate to the Default Domain Group Policy setting. This is required so that the trusted publisher warning dialog box is not shown to the user each time the RemoteApp program is started.

To add the certificate thumbprint to the Default Domain Group Policy setting

  1. Log on to CONTOSO-DC as CONTOSO\Administrator.

  2. Open GPMC. To open GPMC, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Group Policy Management.

  3. Expand Forest: contoso.com, expand Domains, and then expand contoso.com.

  4. Right-click Default Domain Policy, and then click Edit.

  5. Navigate to Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Connection Client.

  6. Double-click Specify SHA1 thumbprints of certificates representing trusted .rdp publishers.

  7. Select the Enabled option.

  8. In the Comma-separated list of SHA1 trusted certificate thumbprints box, type the certificate thumbprint that is used to digitally sign the RDP file, and then click OK.

You have set up the Contoso domain. Now you can proceed to Step 2: Installing and Configuring RemoteApp.