Accidently found there are some new features in Terminal Services on Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 installed when I looked at some settings on Terminal Services Configuration. Then I checked on Microsoft website to try to find a document that lists all new features that comes with this service pack for windows server 2003. Here is what I found:
- New fallback printer driver capability
It makes local printing more accessible for Terminal server clients by configuring Terminal Services to default to a printer driver compatible with PostScript(PS) or Print Control Language(PCL). This new feature is exceptionally useful if a terminal server doesn't have a printer driver installed that machines the Terminal Server client user's specific printer brand and model.
- Authentication and Encryption for Terminal Services
This is the feature I found today the first that doesn't show up on Windows server 2003 without Service Pack 1 installed. It enhance the security of Terminal Server by configuring TS connections to use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) / Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.0 for server authentication, and to encrypt terminal server communications.
Why is this change important while RDP does provide data encryption? Because, by default, it doesn't provide authentication to verify the identity of a terminal server.
- New group policy settings for Terminal Services Licensing
Three new group policy settings added with new service pack:
1) Set the Terminal Server Licensing mode;
2) Use the specified Terminal Server license servers policy setting;
3) Show ToolTips for licensing problems on Terminal server policy setting.
Terminal Services has a week side on granting the valid client license from the license server since Windows Server 200. Some time the client just got the temporary license which will expire in 90 days whether the license server is correctly installed or not. It just either can't find the right server or can't get the right license over the server. Fortunately, it has a work around by deleting “MSLicensing“ keyset from registry editor every time when the license on the client machine expires. And hopefully this new feature would solve this problem.
- Update to group policy setting for starting a program on connection to a terminal server
Now, we can modify the Start program on connection policy setting in Group Policy for the local policy object, meaning that we can configure this policy setting for individual terminal servers within a domain.
What's new in terminal services for Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 from Microsoft