AAD Server Terminal Services

Multiuser Terminal Services is a Windows feature which allows remote workstations access to programs on a central computer system. Terminal Services is necessary when centralized computer programs which run in a desktop environment and which access local databases must be used at remote locations.

Frequently, the reason for remote TS capability is to share a DOS or 32-bit Windows program such as WARES. Microsoft offers multiuser Terminal Services in their 64-bit Advanced Server Operating Systems. DOS and 32-bit Windows programs are incompatible with 64-bit Windows, so a different solution is required.

TS Host Machine

An add-on program, AADServer, is available for Windows XP or Windows 7, in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, and can be used in small offices or enterprise domain environments. This program has many features which make it an excellent remote access software solution.

On the hardware side, an adjunct server machine is required in an office to host terminal sessions on the AADServer. We suggest using an Atom-powered netbook with 2 Gb RAM for this purpose. The Atom processor requires a 32-bit operating system, and a battery backup for power is built into the computer.

Most netbooks ship with Windows Home Starter Edition as an operating system. Microsoft supplies RDP server functionality only in Professional and Ultimate editions. Upgrade the netbook operating system to Windows 7 Professional.

Warning

After registering Windows and upgrading, remove any bloatware which includes nag screens such as “update your virus software now.” If nag screens open for a remote user with program execution restrictions, the remote session may hang.

Install VPN

Secure access across the Internet requires a Virtual Private Network service, or VPN. Logmein/Hamachi VPN provides free hosting services with very little client configuration. Install Hamachi on the terminal services computer and setup a new Hamachi network hosted on this TS machine.

Note

Remobo may be an alternative to Hamachi VPN.

Setup Users

<Right-Click> on Start ‣ Computer, choose Manage.

Under Local Users and Groups, open Groups. Add a group WARES.

Add users as shown in the following table, and set non-expiring passwords. Users in group WARES should be fungible, or interchangeable. Use the same password for all such users.

Username Full name Member of
{install} System Installer Administrators, Users, RD Users
{siteadm} Site Administrator Administrators, Users, RD Users
STARTUP VPN Startup Guests
USER00   Users, Remote Desktop Users, WARES
USER01   Users, Remote Desktop Users, WARES
USER02   Users, Remote Desktop Users, WARES
USER03   Users, Remote Desktop Users, WARES
USER04   Users, Remote Desktop Users, WARES
USER05   Users, Remote Desktop Users, WARES
USER06   Users, Remote Desktop Users, WARES
USER07   Users, Remote Desktop Users, WARES
USER08   Users, Remote Desktop Users, WARES
USER09   Users, Remote Desktop Users, WARES

Unless the VPN is run as a service, a user must login and launch the VPN when the computer boots. Set user STARTUP to login at boot as follows:

  1. From the start menu, run NETPLWIZ administration utility (Windows 7) or control userpasswords2 (Windows XP).
  2. Uncheck the box for Users must enter a username and password to use this computer, and then click button Apply.
  3. In the resulting Automatically log on dialog, Enter user name STARTUP, the user’s password, confirm the password, and then click OK. Click OK again to close the main control panel.
  4. Login as user STARTUP. Copy the Hamachi start file into the user’s start menu folder, Start ‣ All Programs ‣ Startup.
  5. Reboot the computer to verify that user STARTUP logs in automatically and that the Hamachi VPN is started.

Note

The STARTUP login deducts one user from the available user count of AADServer.

Add Program Fles

Add folder WARES inside C:\Users\Public. In the WARES folder, add the following files, downloadable from links at DOS WARES Resources:

NETPRINT.BAT
NETSHARE.BAT
WARES.BAT
WARES.pif

Install AADS Server

From the AADS site, purchase and download an appropriate copy of the server software. For WARES remote access, we recommend the 10 user small system package unless all remote workstations are capable of Windows domain authentication.

Warning

When changing versions of AADServer, always choose to perform an upgrade rather than removing and installing the software. Otherwise, any existing configuration information will be lost.

Warning

If a computer belongs to a windows domain, installing AADServer small system version will remove the domain registration. Install only the Enterprise edition of AADServer on domain member machines.

Setup Applications

Note

The AADServer is administered from a separate application which is added to the Windows control panel and the Start menu. The site administrator should make this application always accessible from the start menu: <Right-click> on Maintenance AADServer, and choose Pin to start menu.

  • Using Start ‣ Maintenance AADServer, display tab Application.

  • In section Application control mode, tab Mode, choose Default a user sees a complete desktop.

  • In section Application, tab Users, Groups, and Applications, enter the following programs and assign them to group WARES:

    Display Program name Startup Command
    WARES C:\Users\Public\WARES\WARES.pif    
    RDPPRINT C:\Users\Public\WARES\RDPPRINT.BAT    
    NETSHARE C:\Users\Public\WARES\NETSHARE.BAT    
    LOGOUT     shutdown /l /f

Note

The path C:\Users\Public on Windows 7 replaced the folder C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop used by Windows XP.

Note

Application windows on remote machines may not be sized to display correctly. We suggest logging into the application for each user, and sizing the application window before accessing the TS user from remote. DOS program windows are resized by clicking the menu icon on the top left of the title bar. Then on the Font tab, choose a character set and size, such as Lucida Console 20.

Customize Batch Programs

NETSHARE.BAT

Edit the NETSHARE.BAT program to use either the correct IP address or NETBIOS name of the server, such as 192.168.2.241 or AAltsysServer.

RDPPRINT.BAT

The default NETPRINT.BAT is intended to work for local printers, and it will not work for remote users. Instead, the remote users must share their printers. Before printing can work, a table of remote workstation names, VPN addresses, TS users and printer sharenames is required. A sample table for this information is provided in the authentication section following.

Substituting for {workstationIP} and {sharename} in the following script, Create a new RDPPRINT.BAT program as follows:

@ECHO OFF
NET USE LPT1 /DELETE
rem NET USE LPT2 /DELETE
:USER00
IF NOT $%USERNAME%$ == $USER00$ GOTO USER01
@ECHO ON
NET USE LPT1 \\{workstationIP}\{sharename} /PERSISTENT:YES
IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 PAUSE
GOTO EXIT
:USER01
IF NOT $%USERNAME%$ == $USER01$ GOTO USER02
@ECHO ON
NET USE LPT1 \\{workstationIP}\{sharename} /PERSISTENT:YES
IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 PAUSE
GOTO EXIT
:USER02
...
:USER09
@ECHO ON
NET USE LPT1 \\{workstationIP}\{sharename} /PERSISTENT:YES
IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 PAUSE
:EXIT

Sample batch file RDPPRINT.BAT is provided; download it to C:\Users\Public\WARES\RDPPRINT.BAT on the TS machine. Then edit the file as described above.

References

Authentication entries

Keep a record of this information in a safe place.

Windows registration:

Installation License number: ______________________________
Professional Upgrade number: ______________________________

Windows station information:

Workstation name: ______________________________
       Workgroup: ______________________________
  Windows domain: ______________________________

TS usernames and passwords

Function Username Password
System Installer (this information is never published)
Site Administrator    
Hamachi VPN Startup    
WARES User USER00 ... USER09  

AAD Server license

Registration username: ______________________________

       License number: ______________________________

Hamachi VPN

.Hamachi IP: ______________________________

Networkname: ______________________________

   Password: ______________________________

RDPPRINT.BAT information

login ID Workstation name Hamachi VPN IP Printer share Device
USER00       LPT1
USER01       LPT1
USER02       LPT1
USER03       LPT1
USER04       LPT1
USER05       LPT1
USER06       LPT1
USER07       LPT1
USER08       LPT1
USER09       LPT1
EXAMPLE DEVELOPER 25.50.50.50 Laserjet LPT1

Note

It would be a good idea to ghost a drive image from this installation once complete, so that recovery from an OS failure would be possible.