Can the Directory and Resource Administrator MMC interface run in a Windows 2000 Terminal Services s (NETIQKB1290)

Goal

Can the Directory and Resource Administrator MMC interface run in a Windows 2000 Terminal Services session?

Fact

Directory and Resource Administrator 6.40
Directory and Resource Administrator 6.50
Directory and Resource Administrator 6.60

Fix

Yes. If installing the MMC client on a local workstation is not desired, the Directory and Resource Administrator (DRA) MMC interface can be installed on a Windows 2000 Terminal Server (WTS).

The following prerequisites must be met before installing the MMC on a Windows Terminal Server:

• Assistant Admin accounts are in a Windows 2000 domain that has access to the machine running WTS.
• Terminal Services are in Application mode, which also requires a running WTS license server.
• The server hardware is configured to accomodate the anticipated number of clients that will be connecting to it. The amount of memory and the number of CPUs are the key items here.

Please perform the following steps to configure DRA's MMC to work in a WTS session:

• Install Terminal Services on a Windows 2000 server.
• With the server in application mode, install the MMC interface to the Windows 2000 Terminal Server by performing the following steps:
  1. Launch Setup.exe from the DRA installation CD or folder.
  2. Click on Begin Setup.
  3. Click on MMC interface and CLI.
  4. Click Next to continue.
  5. After verifying the selected features to be installed, click Next.
  6. Click Next to begin the installation.
• Verify that the Assistant Admins have the ability to logon locally and have access to all necessary files and directories on the terminal server.
• In order for the MMC interface to function correctly, the Internet Explorer Configuration Wizard must be run once for each Assistant Admin. A Group Policy Object should be set up that includes the IE configuration settings. Otherwise, each client will need to logon once and configure Internet Explorer for use.

Once the server requirements have been met, administrators can then use the standard WTS client or the Terminal Services Advanced Client (TSAC). The TSAC is a Win32-based ActiveX control (COM object) that can be used to run Terminal Services sessions within Microsoft Internet Explorer. This requires Windows 2000 SP1 and the ActiveX control for WTS on the terminal server.

NOTE: If using Internet Explorer to connect to the terminal server, the client will be communicating over port 3389 and not port 80. This is the standard port used for all terminal services clients. If the client workstations are separated from the server by a firewall, the clients will need to establish two-way communication on this port.

For more information on TSAC, please refer to the following Microsoft article:

Microsoft Terminal Services Advanced Client Bulletin

To download TSAC, please refer to the following Microsoft article:

Terminal Services Advanced Client Download Site