Parallels Remote Application Server 15 Beta Beta Guide

Parallels Remote Application Server 15 Beta Beta Guide Version 1

Contents Introduction... 1 Beta Download and Feedback... 2 Known issues and limitations... 3 System Requirements... 4 What s new... 6

Introduction Today we are making available Parallels Remote Application Server v15 Beta1. This beta provides you with a glimpse of the functionality and improvements in the upcoming. Parallels Remote Application Server version. New features and improvements available in Beta1 include: 1. Simplified initial deployment 2. Enhanced farm management 3. Components improvements

Beta Download and Feedback The beta is available for download from: http://success.parallels.com/beta-v15-download.html This beta build can be used for 30 days and must be installed before 31/Dec/2015. If you have a feature request, feedback or bug report, make sure to share it with us by sending email to ras-beta@support.parallels.com. Note: Top 10 most active beta participants will be rewarded with $100 Amazon voucher. Thank you, The Parallels Remote Application Server Team 2

Known issues and limitations 1. Make sure you have a valid farm backup before upgrade. 2. For pushing components remotely, please refer to http://kb.parallels.com/en/123255 for firewall requirements. 3. Universal Printing filtering is based on the driver name (not on the printer name), affects the whole site and requires full match (non-partial, no wildcards) for the driver names comparison though is case insensitive. 4. HALB IPv6 support requires the latest versions of the Remote Application Server and HALB appliance (version 15). 5. Some registry changes are not reverted once the desktop replacement is disabled (kiosk). 3

System Requirements Note: Install only in non-production environment that are not business critical. We strongly recommend using test environment. Software requirements The Parallels Remote Application Server Beta core components (RAS Publishing Agent and Secure Client Gateway) should be installed on Windows 2003, Windows 2008, Windows 2008 R2, Windows 2012 and Windows 2012 R2 Server operating system. Recommendation: The Parallels Remote Application Server Beta should not be installed on a domain controller or any other server where a DHCP server is running. Parallels Terminal Server Agents should be installed on Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2 Server operating system with Terminal Services / Remote Desktop Services enabled. Parallels Client is approved for the following operating systems: Windows XP SP3 Windows Vista Windows 2003 SP1 Windows 7 Windows 8. 8.1 Windows CE Windows Embedded Mac 10.5.x and above ios (iphone and ipad) Android 1.5 and above Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, 14.04 LTS, 15.04 LTS 4

OpenSuse 13.1, 13.2 Fedora 20, 21 Linux Mint 17 LTS (Qiana), Linux Mint 17 (Rebecca) Debian 6 (Squeeze), Debian 7 (Wheezy) CentOs 6 Chrome OS Minimum Hardware Requirements Parallels Remote Application Server Beta is tested on both physical and virtual platforms. The minimum hardware requirements approved to run Parallels 2X RAS are: Physical machines dual core processor with a minimum of 4GB of physical memory. Virtual machines two virtual processors with a minimum of 4GB of virtual hardware memory. 5

What s new Part 1. Simplified Initial Deployment Now you can start using your published applications or desktops in three easy steps. 1.1 Startup Wizards Upon launching the RAS Management Console, the Start Category is opened with three wizards on it: 1. Add Terminal Server Wizard Allows adding one or multiple terminal server to the Farm at any time. 2. Publish Applications Wizard Allows publishing one or multiple applications, desktops etc. at any time. 3. Invite Users Wizard Allows sending invitations to a user or a group at any time. 1.2 Agent packaging improvements In RAS v15 all agents are pushed from the console in MSI format that means: 6

1. Decreases installation size, which speeds up rollouts. 2. Installation of pushed components via msi result in standard integration with the Windows OS (e.g. ability to remove using Add/Remove programs). 1.3 Additional Publishing Features New publishing items simplify URL and shared folders publishing: 1. Web application Publish a web link to CRM system or Google Apps 2. Folder on the file system Publish a network folder via UNC path 7

1.4 Other improvements to speed up initial deployment 1. Self-signed certificate is installed automatically on Secure Client Gateway 2. Redesigned HTML5 Gateway with improved performance and user experience is on by default 3. VDI support does not prohibit using the latest hypervisors 8

Part 2. Enhanced Farm Management The farm management is more intuitively understandable and provides more control. 2.1 RAS Management Console The RAS Management Console has been undergone the following changes: Removed the Toolbar UX improvements Created New Category "Start", place holder for Wizards Farm Category - Renamed Backup Servers to Publishing Agents under Site node Administration Category - Send Invitation - Allow multiple targets option has been added Added visibility when the user needs to press the Apply button Category Information Swapped tabs "Local Information" with "Site Information" Category Policies - Added descriptions to each policy Category Farm - Gateways - Tunneling Policies - Added Title to Properties of a policy Category Administration - Reporting - Changed "Advanced..." to "Tracking Settings..." Updated Incoming email with invitation Renamed RAS Monitor into Parallels Remote Application Server Monitor Renamed RAS Log Viewer into Parallels Remote Application Server Log Viewer 2.2 Session Management Implemented role based administration of RDP sessions in the farm (help desk scenario). The session management tab has been introduced in the Administration Category. 9

2.3 RDS Servers Scheduled Actions If a server or a group of servers need planned servicing (windows updates, application upgrades, and configuration changes), the following two control settings are now available: 1. Disable on schedule (Remove from balancing a server or a server group) 2. Reboot on schedule (Reboot management for a server or a server group) 2.4 RDS Servers Logon Control A new setting has been introduced to control the user s logon. The administrator needs to choose a RDS host in the Console and use Logon Control to change the host logon behavior: 1. Enable logons (cancel 2 and 3, move the host back to load balance) 2. Disable logons and reconnections (Remove from balancing) 3. Disable new logons until server restarts (graceful logoff) 2.5 Printer Drivers Filtering To avoid server resource overloading by non-useful printers redirection and block incompatible print drivers a new page "Printer drivers" has been introduced in "Universal Printing" category with the following settings: 1. "Allow redirection of printers using any driver" - (default) if set redirection procedure works the same way as if the feature is not present at all. 10

2. "Allow redirection of printers using one of the following drivers" the administrator must specify the list of printer driver names, which should be allowed. 3. "Allow redirection of printers which do not use the following drivers" - (this option is most useful for the feature) to specify the list of drivers which should be blocked for Universal Printing redirection. The list of drivers enabled only for feature state 2 and 3. The list allows free text typing, editing, and deleting using standard UI controls/keyboard shortcuts. Note 1: The driver names comparison is case insensitive but require full match (non-partial, no wildcards). Note 2: This feature is not per server basis, but affects the whole site. The filtering is based not on the printer name, but on the driver name of the printer. 2.6 Client Policies Improvements Since version 15 RAS supports the policy enforcement on Mac and Linux desktop clients. A new policies category Control Settings allows an administrator to: Restrict the user to the single connection only (disable the ability to add RAS or standard RDP connection); Force the user to type the password every time the user logs in; Disable the change-password option using the client; Forbid the user from Importing or Exporting Client Settings in order to not connect with unauthorized devices. 2.7 Default Settings for Published applications Now an administrator is able to change settings for all published applications, which inherit the default settings from the single place (e.g. create a shortcut on the desktop for all published applications). The published application Defaults are retrievable from the application properties. 2.8 Default Settings for Terminal Servers Now an administrator can change settings for all terminal servers, which inherit the default settings from the single place (e.g. Changing the port for all terminal servers, create a default 11

schedule). The terminal sever Defaults are available from menu Task->Edit Default under Terminal Server node in the Site settings in the Farm Category or from the server properties. 12

Part 3. Component Improvements 3.1 Smart Card Authentication Authentication layer has been extended to support Smart Card Authentication. The following primary authentication types are supported: 1. Username/Password 2. Smart Card 3. Username/Password or Smart Card Note: Windows and Linux clients only 3.2 Windows 10 support 1. Windows 10 support in VDI deployments 2. Windows 10 support in Remote PC Agents 3. Windows 10 support with Desktop Replacement feature (Thin Client like) and Kiosk mode (the best for security) 3.3 Automatic update for Parallels Client on Linux The Linux client checks if there is a new version of the client itself and give the possibility to update. 3.4 Native code in ChromeApp Improved performance when connecting from Chrome books or Chrome Browsers. It allows adding the Chrome App support for: 1. SSL - Now the user can connect with Gateway/Direct SSL. 2. RemoteFX The user can enable this feature by check the "Enable Graphics Acceleration". It is enabled by default (RemoteFX should be enabled on the server side.) 3.5 HALB (High Availability and Load Balancing) Improvements 1. Support for IPv6 (HA for IPv6 addresses and LB of IPv6 RAS GWs) 13

2. Zero downtime on configuration changes (HALB services will only be restarted if the virtual IP settings are changed). 3. Bundle Hypervisor tools to increase performance. 4. RDP-UDP forwarding for Windows RAS Clients increase usability on WAN. 3.7 Other Improvements 1. RDP-UDP DTLS support Extending RDP8 support 2. Agents Update - start-up update agents process speed improvement The dialog is used for pushing agents from the Console has been revamped. When multiple agents need updating, a new dialog will appear asking the user which agents to upgrade. 14