Overall Satisfaction with Remote Desktop Services
Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is used to help publish a line of business applications to nearly every device. We use it across the entire organization and even with a few support vendors. RDS helps solves issues by simplifying the IT infrastructure and reducing network traffic. Software maintenances and Windows updates are more controlled. I only have to upgrade a few servers versus the entire enterprise of remote desktop, laptop, and tablets.
- Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is fast and light on bandwidth. With increased compression, RDS is really only sending screen-shots with keyboard and mouse events. No SQL connection across the LAN or WAN. All Client-Server applications can be set up locally in a small network.
- Maintaining a line of business applications in your IT infrastructure is a breeze. Once set up, users can connect to a published business application from nearly every device. And with so many companies going to a “Bring Your Own Device” model, end users can purchase an endpoint device such as a laptop or tablet (Windows, Android, or MAC) and simply launch an icon from either the start menu or desktop. It can also be launched from a web browser. Really cool stuff!!
- A Remote Desktop Services farm instance gives the system administrators a little more flexibility by allowing the IT department to schedule a maintenance window to perform software or Windows updates to that server while new connections are routed to the other servers. This is usually done with a load balance device that either makes connections via Round Robin or CPU usages. Load balancer controls [based on] which server is available for connections.
- In a few cases, I have seen where applications may have screen flicker. Or if application is running a large report and query the database, the application screen will ghost out while waiting to response.
- I have also seen that a few applications that have detailed information will not appear under the remote app but will appear in the full desktop mode.
- RDS is cheaper over Citrix and without the extra overhead license cost and support.
- RDS provides a single store of published line of business applications for all end-users which makes it easy and convenient.
I also used 2x Client and Citrix in the past. Both worked nice. Citrix is a little more complex and once with Windows updates damaged a Citrix installation causing all ICA traffic to not accept connections. 2x Client was simple and free for 3 connections (or used to be). Both products required additional software installed on the endpoint device. With Microsoft Windows, it's already installed. I like because it is more integrated.