This Wiki is about publishing RemoteApps in Windows Server 2012. More info on the Distribution of those Remote Apps and desktops can be found in this wiki: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/14488.distribution-of-remote-apps-and-desktops-in-windows-server-2012.aspx The RD WebAccess role in Windows Server 2012 can be deployed using one of the new Scenario Based Deployments (Quick or Standard deployment) or can be deploying using the traditional Role Based Deployment. After doing either of these deployments Remote Apps can be published using the Server Manager Console. We open up the Server Manager and select Remote Desktop Services from the left pane. Assuming that we already created the Session Collection to host our RemoteApps we select that Session Collection. Here we have the ability to centrally publish and unpublish RemoteApps. Note that a Session Collection can be two different types. When no Remote Apps are published, the Session Collection is of type "Remote Desktop" which basically means that only full desktop is published. As soon as you have successfully published your first Remote App, the Session Collection is changes to type "Remote App Programs" and the full desktop is no longer published, as a mix in one Session Collection is not supported. We now either select “Publish RemoteApp programs to this collection” or select “Publish RemoteApp programs” from the TASKS dropdown menu. A wizard will be launched that will scan the RD Session Host Servers involved in this Session Collection to retrieve a list of installed applications that you might want to publish. We can select one of these applications (or multiple) or we can click “Add another program” which will launch a second dialog in which we are able to browse the Session Host in order to select an application of choice. After selecting one or more applications, we click Next and confirm the chosen applications to be published to the RD WebAccess server(s). After the wizard is finished, we have the RemoteApps available in RD WebAccess. By default, all RemoteApps will be made available in the root of the RD WebAccess page. To create hierarchy and folders please follow Adding folders in RD WebAccess in Windows Server 2012. If desired we can edit the properties of the RemoteApps from the server manager by right clicking and choosing edit. Here we can change the name, icon and desired folder. In the parameters tab we can set the desired command line parameters we wish to use. In the user assignment screen, we can certain users or groups that we would like to allow explicit access to certain applications. By doing so, the application in question will only be available to users specified here (either by user or group membership). In the File type and associations screen we are able to construct a certain association to a RemoteApp Program. Please note however, that this association only applies to Remote App and Connections and not to user connecting through the RD WebAccess page or a separate .RDP file.
More info on Distribution of Remote Apps and desktops in Windows Server 2012 in this Wiki: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/14488.distribution-of-remote-apps-and-desktops-in-windows-server-2012.aspx
Carsten Siemens edited Revision 7. Comment: Added tag: has comment
Freek Berson edited Revision 6. Comment: Added an additional link
Fernando Lugão Veltem edited Revision 5. Comment: removed (en-US) from the title
Freek Berson edited Revision 4. Comment: Added a link.
Freek Berson edited Original. Comment: Typo corrections
This is pretty useless: doesn't tell me how to generate the MSI file or the RDP file. I don't want an app on RD Web Access--that's way too complex for my "where's the icon" users. I just want the MSI/RDP file. This is so HUGELY complex compared to the simple and streamlined methods back in Server 2008R2. Makes me not want to install any new servers.
Hi DNeuwir,
This Wiki is about the publication of Remote App in general. You can access those Remote Apps by using either WebAccess or the Web feed URL to place them on the end users local startmenu / startscreen. The functionality to create .msi or .rdp files using the RemoteApp Manager has unfortunately been deprecated in Windows Server 2012. There is an easy way to extract the .RDP files generated for the Remote Apps however, more on that for example here:
microsoftplatform.blogspot.nl/.../distribution-of-remote-apps-and.html
Kind regards,
Freek Berson
p.s. This Wiki has been created 6 months back (based on Windows Server 8 and the knowledge we had back then). I'm planning to update this week soon!
Freek Berson edited Revision 2. Comment: Updated the srceenshots from "Windows Server 8" to Windows Server 2012
I updates the screenshots based on Windows Server 8 to the screenshots based on Windows Server 2012. Also, for more details on distributing the Remote Apps and Desktops also see this Wiki:
social.technet.microsoft.com/.../14488.distribution-of-remote-apps-and-desktops-in-windows-server-2012.aspx
Good documentation ! It use the mstsc's client to create the icon the desktop ? and it's a single sign-on I guess, like on the startup menu for the user ?
Good documentation, I was wondering how to publish an app hosted on a network drive? I keep receiving the following message when I try to select the executable:
You must specify a file from the RD Session server
SVTEST.INFO.COM by using the UNC path; for example
\\SVTEST.INFO.COM\c$\path\filename.exe.
If the problem persists, ensure that the following Windows Firewall
exceptions are enabled:
1. File and Printer Sharing (SMB-Out).
1. File and Printer Sharing (SMB-In).
Note: I have tried using an UNC path to no avail. I believe the issue is related to the bile not being hosted on the RDP server.
Hi Jonathan,
Yes you are supposed to provide a location on the RD Session Host server itself. What I have seen people do is create a workaround where .cmd file on the RD Session Host Server that Launches the application on the network share. This will probably not be fully supported, so no guarantees there, but below some info on how to configure this:
Here you see a Remote App (procmon,exe) running: http://bit.ly/TQuGEf
Here you see that the Remote App points to a exe on a network share: http://bit.ly/TQuxAy
This is how the .cmd file is configured: http://bit.ly/TQv5GL
themicrosoftplatform.net
Hi Freek, The local exec restriction in the UI is not present when using Powershell to create the remote app. So for appc running over UNC path, creating a new remote app through Powershell is the way to go!
1- Run Powershell as admin
2- Execute the following command:
New-RDRemoteApp -CollectionName [collection_name] -DisplayName [remote_app_display_name] -FilePath "\\server\share\executable.exe"
Thanks, good catch! I'll update the Wiki with the info you supplied!