1. Designing, Deploying and Supporting Windows Terminal Services At CERN by Ruben Gaspar IT – Internet Services Group CERN

2. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Overview What is? What for? Architecture Implementation System Management issues Conclusions

3. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 What are “Terminal Services” Alias “Remote Desktop” Allows a remote windows session from a computer to another computer, not necessarily running Windows Multi user environment supported in Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2003 Server –Also built-in Windows XP professional, but restricted to 1 simultaneous user (remote desktop)

4. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Introduces duality on something that is today very successful Linux / Mac / Windows Client with remote desktop software Windows / Mac / Linux Client with X-terminal software LXPLUSWindows Terminal Services

5. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Motivations A step forward in Linux / Windows / Mac integration Reduces (but does not replace) the need for … –VMWare, Virtual PCs and windows emulators, Multi boot installation, … –“does not replace” because network access is required User’s motivations –I am on Macintosh/Linux and I need access to Windows applications –I am not at CERN and I want access to the CERN environment –Security (Controls, ACB, VPN, …) –I do not have that particular application installed, I cannot install it, but I need it. License reasons Complex installations centrally managed –I have a slow computer and I want a faster one

6. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 The service Service started at 1st April 2004 following March Desktop Forum –Limitation of 50 simultaneous sessions (manpower issue) Well defined Service Manifest establishes an SLAService Manifest –Active sessions have no time limit –Idle and disconnected sessions will be logged off after 18 hours –RSA RC4 (128 bits encryption key) required to connect –Profile limited to 500 MB –Only core 16 applications available to users. Additional applications can be installed only following management approval and must pass technical criteria. Dedicated service may be necessary for some applications (see later)16 applications available –It becomes the recommended solution for other services: Public PC areas GPRS –Designed to be clonable and customized to cover specific needs, while preserving central manageability (see later) Complete documentation available in the Internals siteInternals site

7. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Core Applications Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 MS Project Client 2003 Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 DreamweaverMX 6.1 Putty (SSH for Windows) 0.55 Adobe Reader & Professional 6.0.1 Remedy Client 6.0 HummingBird Exceed version 9 GSView – Postscript Viewer 4.6 HP-GL Viewer 5.30 Whip! Autodesk DWF Viewer 4.0-102 WinZip 9.0 CERN Phone Book CERN Printing Package

8. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 The architecture A farm of servers behind a unique name: cernts.cern.ch Load balancing automated across farm nodes + session directory –Able to reconnect to the correct node on disconnected sessions User profiles and settings independent on the application server node License Server: provides a client pc with rights to access an application server Highly scalable, redundant, reliable

9. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 9. Load-balancer examines token and directs connection to TS3, passing through credentials 4. User enters credentials 1. User connects to load-balancer Architecture - Session Directory Architecture - Session Directory TS-1 TS-2 TS-3 Load-Balancer (LB-1) Session Directory JaneDoe*********** LB-1 TS-3 JaneDoe *********** 8. Session broken down on TS-2. Client reconnects to load-balancer with token and credentials 2. Load Balancer (F5, Radware) routes user to “least-loaded” server 3. Server responds 5. Server authenticates “JaneDoe” and checks Session Directory for existing session 6. SD informs TS that user has a session on TS –3 10. Original session from TS3 presented to user JaneDoe 7. TS returns user credentials with token and tells client to reconnect User session on TS-3 TS-3 LB-1 TS-3 JaneDoe *********** LB-1 ***********

10. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 User profiles and settings Terminal services profile different from standard NICE profiles –Avoid incompatibilities with desktop application settings One profile server for Windows terminal services –Provide an homogenous look and feel (feeling of connecting always to the same machine) Desktop, Favorites, My Documents are redirected –Same home directory server –Provide an homogenous, similar environment between desktop and TS sessions

11. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 cernts03cernts04cernts0X cernprofts cernprof Home Directory Server (My documents, Favorites, Desktop) Standard Windows Desktop session CERNTS.cern.ch LICENSE Server 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

12. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 License Server All Application servers in the farm require the existence of a license server that keeps tracks of client certificates This service was installed in the session directory server It is also used by non-central terminal services farms –A central accounting mechanism for all Application servers within the organization –Licenses rely on the Microsoft Campus agreement

13. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Technical implementation Currently two machines CERNTS03/04 –Load balancing installed –All machines in the same network segment. Foreseen 8 IPs. –Data and System located in different Volumes –Careful permission settings on File System Write privilege only on User profile location Quotas possible but not yet enforced Dedicated server for the session directory and license server Dedicated server for terminal service profiles –Configured as Windows roaming profile servers –Can be used also by non-official terminal servers All based on Dual Xeon CPU and Server 2003 technology Standard backup mechanism Several scripts developed for monitoring the service and logging usage –Aim to reach a complete automated service

14. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Using the service Windows Terminal Services site: http://cern.ch/terminalservices/ http://cern.ch/terminalservices/ Registration is mandatory –Under discussion to void this requirement User can manage its TS profile Internet explorer users can connect from the browser –http://cern.ch/wts/TSWeb/cerntslb.htmhttp://cern.ch/wts/TSWeb/cerntslb.htm Service address: cernts.cern.ch Client software available to all platforms –Detailed instructions and documentation on the WTS web site –See Windows clients, Linux clients, Macintosh clientsWindows clientsLinux clientsMacintosh clients

15. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 DEMO

16. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Terminal services site

17. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Outlook 2003 at WTS

18. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Saving a doc in your WTS profile

19. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Usage Statistics Registered users: 782 - Active Users: 460 License server has distributed 400 client licenses –Client licenses expires after 90 days Peak of simultaneous sessions: 45 –Remember: Max limit set to 50 Average sessions per day: 36 Average session duration per day: 10h20

20. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Average Simultaneous sessions

21. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Applications Usage

22. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Conclusions and Issues Feedback from the User community encouraging Stable set of applications Manpower available for long term service evolution still unclear –Remember Max 50 users limit will be hit soon –Applications management and Security (Patch, hot fix installation) Many requests to install additional application, centrally managed –No clear process to decide what is core and non core Many pending requests from other groups to have “cloned” services running specific applications –Currently we can give only technical advices –They need to use official service infrastructure, profiles, licensing LHCB build service AB/CO controls applications ST/MA Asset Tracking and Maintenance Management EP/SFT for several custom applications IT/PS for some engineering applications Support (support-terminalservices@cern.ch): –Second and third line support missing –User questions and answers

23. Ruben Gaspar IT/IS CERN HEPIX - October 2004 Questions