How to configure multiple RDP sessions on the same Windows server

  • 7023418
  • 02-Oct-2018
  • 17-Oct-2019

Environment

Privileged Account Manager 3.6
Privileged Account Manager 3.5
Privileged Account Manager 3.2
Microsoft Windows Server
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Client

Situation

Only a single session is permitted at one time, the initial session is disconnected when a second starts.
How to configure multiple RDP sessions for Windows Server.
How to permit simultaneous connections to the server.
How to enable simultaneous sessions with AppSSO capability.

Resolution

This is not something that needs to be specially configured within Privileged Account Manager (PAM), but rather is dependent on licensing the Microsoft capability.

This is a question / concern that should be taken to the appropriate Windows Administrator within the organization, as it is a Windows-related configuration with a potential associated cost.

Cause

A particular Microsoft Windows GPO has not been configured to support simultaneous connections.

Additional Information

In Windows, there is a Group Policy that should control this behavior:
  1. Open gpedit.msc (Group Policy Editor)
  2. Go to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Remote Desktop services -> Remote Desktop Session Host -> Connections.
  3. Here there is a policy named "Limit number of connections"
Note: This setting is designed to be used on RD Session Host servers (that is, on servers running Windows with Remote Desktop Session Host role service installed).

It has been reported that the following registry key can also help to enable multiple sessions for a single user, which can be helpful for AppSSO in PAM:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer:
Setting "fSingleSessionPerUser" from 1 to 0.