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Eduard Florinescu
Asked: 2014-04-25 00:52:14 +0800 CST

How to synchronize applications between two terminal-service servers?

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We have two terminal-service server and we use Network Load Balancing (NLB) to cluster this two terminal-service servers together.

We need to have the same applications installed on the two servers, because if one user who uses the terminal is redirected to any other of the two servers need to have the same applications.

Is possible to synchronize installing of applications between the two terminal-service servers so that we could have the same applications on the two-severs?

This the diagram representing the topology of the configuration:

enter image description here

All the servers are running Windows Server 2012.

windows-server-2012

2 Answers

  1. Yes, you can do this by using any of the software distribution products out there (e.g. SCCM).

    It is not possible "out of the box". But this seems to be a pretty small environment, so can't you just make sure you install them on both servers?

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  2. Best Answer

    As stated SCCM would be the way to go, however since you probably aren't going to just run out and buy it and configure it (it is also way more in depth than just doing that) what I'd recommend is this:

    The Favorable (read "better" maybe even "best" given your circumstances) Way

    First you could (depending on the version of Remote Desktop server you're running, which even if it is 2008 R2 then you're ok) setup one of the servers as a RemoteApp server. You could publish all the apps you want both servers to have as RemoteApps and then distribute them as links/shortcuts through a simple GPO. That way, any time you make a change to an application it changes for both of them simultaneously during the next time the GPO pushes the new shortcut to each server. Here are two great resources on the details/steps (one for 2008 and the other for 2012) required to do this; it's quite simple. 2008 RemoteApp Setup

    2012 RemoteApp Setup

    P.s. You can turn almost anything into a RemoteApp all the way down to minuscule things like the built in Calculator for Windows.

    If you can't figure this out or don't want to hassle with it, you can always do...

    The Not So Favorable Way

    Get all the features and applications the way you want them on one server and then use either VMware's Standalone Converter, or Disk2VHD for Microsoft to clone this server. Make sure that you don't connect the new server to the network at first, and that you sysprep the new server after you start it up. Then you can get it a new name, SID (sysprep takes care of the old one and when you join to the domain you'll get a new one) and IP. This is the poor mans way, because if you install software on one terminal server down the road it won't auto install on the new server and there is probably some configuration changes that will need to be made on each server which gets tidious and time consuming.

    If I can be of any further assistance don't hesitate to ask, thanks.

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