This guide details how to configure terminal server settings for Microsoft’s Windows 2003 Terminal Services. However, the large part of the instructions can also be applied to Windows 2000 server set up.

The application, Terminal Services, quickly became one of the best tools for system admins, due to it being reliable, scalable and its wide range of features. It uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and TCP/IP to function. It permits the user to share apps and computers across a network, to take over control of any other machine from their location and to back up and centralize data.

Beginning the set up of the Windows 2003 terminal server: Start the ‘configure server’ helpful wizard within the admin tools section. Choose Terminal Server as the role, and proceed forwards, following the instructions on screen. It should take only a couple of minutes until the computer is automatically restarted. Once the computer has restarted, login as normal and you should see a confirmation window stating that the machine is acting as a terminal server from now on. If you are running an unlicensed copy of Windows 2003 Terminal Server, you will find that you have 120 days of use in the evaluation period, beyond which you will have to purchase a license to continue using the service.

You can now choose between Terminal Services Manager and Terminal Services Configuration to begin the config of your set up. Terminal Services Manager makes things pretty straight forward, allowing you to see who is connected, manage those connections and keep track of their associated processes. Simply click on the server name you have configured and you will see green highlighted icons for those that are currently connected. You can quickly get more info on their connection status by using the right hand side box. From this admin box you can browse through with the session tab, the processes tab or user by user. Right clicking will bring up all the functionalities such as ending processes or getting more data.

You can even connect to more than one terminal server at a time by going to ‘Actions’ and then ‘Connect to computer’.