Remote Desktop Connection 7 for Windows 7, Windows XP & Windows Vista
Introduction
Now that we have released Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2 to manufacturing, we wanted to share our plans to make the Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) 7.0 client available to Windows XP and Windows Vista. RDC 7 will ensure that when connecting to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 from an XP or Vista machines you are able to take advantage of the rich, advanced RDP7 features such as Media Player Redirection, True Multi-monitor support, etc
Note: If you use RDC 7.0 to connect to XP or Vista you do not get new Windows 7 features like Windows Media Player Redirection etc. There is no way to get these features when connecting to XP or Vista.
The new RDC 7.0 clients will be available in Q4 CY09 by using the Microsoft Download Center and WSUS and will be available for Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 (SP1), Windows Vista with Service Pack 2 (SP2), and Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3) operating systems.
The following sections describe what the user experience will be when connecting to Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 from a variety of operating systems using RDP 7, RDP 6.1, or RDP 5.2.
Connectivity
This section describes the set of remote resources available to users from each operating system/client combination.
|
|
Connecting From: |
Win7/R2 |
Vista SP+ |
Vista SP+ |
XP SP3 |
XP SP3 |
XP SP2 |
XP SP2 |
| |
RDC 7.0 |
RDC 7.0 |
RDC 6.1 |
RDC 7.0 |
RDC 6.1 |
RDC 6.1 |
RDC 5.2 |
|
Access to Remote Desktop sessions |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
Access to RemoteApp programs |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
|
Access to personal desktop by using RD Connection Broker |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
Access to virtual desktop pools by using RD Connection Broker |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
Launch applications and desktops from RemoteApp and Desktop Connection on client |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
|
Launch RemoteApp programs, virtual desktop, and session-based desktop from RD Web Access |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
|
Status & disconnect system tray icon. |
yes |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
|
Access to Remote Desktop sessions
User can connect to full remote desktop sessions.
Access to RemoteApp programs
Users can connect to RemoteApp programs rather than a whole desktop. This allows RemoteApp programs to be displayed seamlessly on the user’s local desktop even though they run remotely.
Access to personal virtual desktops by using RD Connection Broker
Users can access to personal virtual desktops when using the new Remote Desktop Virtualization Host in Windows Server 2008 R2. Personal desktops are assigned to users on 1:1 basis and maintain state over time.
Access to virtual desktop pools by using RD Connection Broker
Users can access virtual desktop pools when using the new Remote Desktop Virtualization Host in Windows Server 2008 R2. Pooled desktops are shared between multiple users and all changes a user makes are typically rolled back when the user logs off.
Launch applications and desktops from 'RemoteApp and Desktop Connections'
Users can subscribe to all their RemoteApp programs and desktops which are then listed in their local Start menu. The list is automatically updated as items are added or deleted.
Launch application and desktops from RD Web Access
Users can launch RemoteApp programs and desktops from an ActiveX enable browser
Status & disconnect system tray icon
A single system tray icon enables users to see all their remote connections. The user can disconnect all or individual connections using this icon. The icon appears only when launching RDP connections which are associated with a RemoteApp and Desktop Connection feed.
Experience Features
This section describes the user experience when connecting to Windows Server 2008 R2 from each platform/client combination.
|
Connecting From: |
Win7/R2 |
Vista SP1 |
Vista SP1 |
XP SP3 |
XP SP3 |
XP SP2 |
XP SP2 |
| |
RDC 7.0 |
RDC 7.0 |
RDC 6.1 |
RDC 7.0 |
RDC 6.1 |
RDC 6.1 |
RDC 5.2 |
|
Windows Media Player Redirection |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
|
Bidirectional Audio |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
|
Multimonitor Support |
true |
true |
spanning |
true |
spanning |
spanning |
no |
|
Aero Glass Support |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
|
Enhanced Bitmap Acceleration |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
|
Language Bar Docking |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
|
Easy Print |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
Windows Media Player Redirection
Windows Media Player Redirection enables content hosted in Windows Media Player to be redirected to the client for decoding on the users’ computers. This improves the quality of the video and ensures that video and audio are always in sync. This works for both full Windows Media Player and Windows Media Player controls hosted in Web pages.
Bidirectional Audio
You can redirect audio recording devices such as microphones on the client computer. This is ideal for applications like Windows 7 voice recognition and applications that record audio.
True Multimonitor Support
In Windows Vista & Windows Server 2008, Terminal Services supported only monitor spanning. Remote Desktop Services now includes true multi-monitor support for up to 16 monitors. and works for both Remote Desktop & RemoteApp programs. It is not compatible with Aero Glass support.
Aero Glass Support
Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008 did not support Aero Glass remoting for sessions. This is now supported in Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services (but is not compatible with multi monitor support).
Enhanced Bitmap Acceleration
Bitmap acceleration improves the remote display of graphics-intensive applications like PowerPoint, Flash, and Silverlight.
Language Bar Docking
RemoteApp allows users to use their docked Language Bar with their RemoteApp applications just like they do with the local ones.
This productive functionality was previously unavailable, and users had to resort to the floating Language bar. To use the RemoteApp docked Language bar users must use a Windows7 client connected to a Windows Server 2008 R2 server.
Easy Print
Easy Print allows users to print to their local printers from remote desktops and programs without needing to install print drivers on the host. Easy Print is now supported when connecting to Windows 7 client.
Security Features
This section describes the security features available when connecting to Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7 from each platform/client combination.
|
Connecting From: |
Win7/R2 |
Vista SP1 |
Vista SP1 |
XP SP3 |
XP SP3 |
XP SP2 |
XP SP2 |
| |
RDC 7.0 |
RDC 7.0 |
RDC 6.1 |
RDC 7.0 |
RDC 6.1 |
RDC 6.1 |
RDC 5.2 |
|
Per-user filtering of RemoteApp programs |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
na |
|
Web SSO |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
|
Web forms-based authentication |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
|
RD Gateway-based control of device redirection |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
|
RD Gateway system and logon messages |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
|
RD Gateway Background Authorization & Authentication |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
|
Gateway Idle & Session Timeouts |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
|
NAP remediation with RD Gateway |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
Per-user filtering of RemoteApp programs
RemoteApp programs displayed in RD Web Access can be filtered so that a user will see only the applications to which he or she has access.
Web SSO & Web forms-based authentication
RD Web Access now uses forms-based authentication to improve the user experience. Web SSO ensures that once a user is logged on no additional passwords are required for RD Gateway, RD Session Host servers and RemoteApp programs.
RD Gateway-based control of device redirection
In Windows Server 2008, it was possible for non-Microsoft Remote Desktop clients to override the gateway device redirection controls. In Windows Server 2008 R2 device redirection settings defined in RD Gateway it cannot be overridden.
RD Gateway System and Logon messages
System and logon messages can be added to RD Gateway and displayed to the remote desktop user. System messages can be used to inform users of server maintenance issues such as shutdown and restarts. Logon messages can be used to display a logon notice to users before they gain access to remote resources
RD Gateway Background Authorization & Authentication
Background authentication and authorization requests are performed after a configured session timeout has been reached, sessions for users whose property information has not changed are not affected, and authentication and authorization requests are sent in the background.
RD Gateway Idle & Session Timeouts
Configurable idle and session timeouts with RD Gateway provide better control of users who are connecting through RD Gateway. An idle timeout provides the ability to reclaim resources used by inactive user sessions without affecting the user's session or data. This helps free up resources on the RD Gateway server.
NAP Remediation with RD Gateway
NAP remediation allows you to manage remote clients by updating them with the latest software updates and settings. This helps keep remote clients in compliance with network security policies.
More Information
For more information about the new features in Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services, see “What’s New in Remote Desktop Services,” available on Microsoft TechNet (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=131925).
