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Terminal Services: Providing the Benefits of Remote Application Execution

Introduction

The Terminal Services component of the Microsoft� Windows� 2000 Server operating system can deliver the Windows 2000 desktop, as well as the latest Windows-based applications, to virtually any desktop computing device, including those that cannot run Windows. This lets more people in an organization take advantage of the resources provided by a distributed computing environment. Terminal Services can also be used to remotely administer a Windows 2000-based server.

Terminal Services client software is available for a wide variety of different client hardware devices, including personal computers, Windows-based Terminals, and non Windows-based devices such as the Apple Macintosh or UNIX workstations.

When a user runs an application on a Windows 2000-based terminal server, all of the application execution takes place on the server and only the keyboard, mouse and display information are transmitted over the network. Each user sees only their individual session, which is managed transparently by the server operating system and is independent of any other client session.

Terminal Services lets enterprises more easily and cost-efficiently accomplish the following goals:

	Centrally deploy and manage Windows-based applications to virtually any type of client and over virtually any type of network connection. Organizations can use Terminal Services in Application Server mode to deliver Windows-based applications to heterogeneous desktop environments, over local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN) and dial-up connections. This is a cost-effective way to deploy line-of-business applications that are frequently updated, hard to install, or need to be accessed over low-bandwidth connections. Using Terminal Services, companies can ensure that all clients are using current versions of an application because the software is installed once on a server, rather than on every desktop throughout the company. This model reduces the costs and challenge of updating desktop machines, especially for remotely located desktops or branch office environments. In addition, Terminal Services features such as Remote Control can simplify application support.
	Phased hardware upgrades. By letting users access current applications on hardware that might otherwise be of little use, Terminal Services can help companies that are gradually replacing older machines.
	Remote administration of Windows 2000-based servers. Using Terminal Services can give administrators greater flexibility and mobility. Administrators can securely manage their Windows 2000-based servers over any network connection from any device using the Terminal Services Client software. The client device does not need to be running Windows 2000 Professional. This lets an administrator perform tasks such as directory maintenance, virus scans, backups, reboots and even promote a server to be a domain controller�all from a remote location.