Overview of TS Web Access

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

TS Web Access is a role service that lets you make RemoteApp programs, and a link to the terminal server desktop, available to users from a Web browser. Additionally, TS Web Access includes Remote Desktop Web Connection, which enables users to connect remotely to the desktop of any computer where they have Remote Desktop access.

With TS Web Access, users can visit a Web site (either from the Internet or from the intranet) to access a list of available RemoteApp programs. To start a RemoteApp program, they just click the program icon. When they start a RemoteApp program, a Terminal Services session is started on the terminal server that hosts the RemoteApp program.

TS Web Access provides a solution that works with minimal configuration. The default TS Web Access Web page includes a customizable frame and Web Part. The Web Part can be incorporated into a customized Web page.

Deploying TS Web Access

You must install the TS Web Access role service on the server that you want users to connect to over the Web to access RemoteApp programs. When you install TS Web Access, Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 is also installed as a required component.

After you install TS Web Access, you can specify from which terminal server you want to populate the Web Part. Any RemoteApp programs on the specified terminal server that are configured to show in TS Web Access will appear in the Web Part. Because the Web server can populate the list from an external data source, the TS Web Access server does not have to be a terminal server.

If you want users to access the Web page from the Internet, you can use TS Gateway to help secure remote connections. For more information, see Checklist: Make RemoteApp Programs Available from the Internet.

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