0

Our company is considering a remote desktop farm, and I just wanted to see if anyone has any advice on some procedures.

Basically, we will have a connection broker sitting in front of several remote desktop session host servers. From time to time, we will need to install new software, or make configuration changes, and I was wondering if this was possible using VMWare templates.

If we wanted all the servers to be exactly the same all the time, is it possible to update the template, and then re-deploy it several times to replace the session host servers?

My initial concern, was that as the session host servers will be domain joined, if we were to update from the template, we would need to remove them from the domain, deploy a template, rename the server and then rejoin to the domain?

This seems a bit clunky, and I should imagine would carry with it it's own set of problems with things like security down the line.

Is there a different method or some best practice on keeping all the servers identical?

James Edmonds
  • 1,733
  • 10
  • 37
  • 59

1 Answers1

1

The "best practice" or generally preferred method of keeping computers in sync is with configuration management software, such as SCCM or PowerShell DSC. (Or dozens of non-Microsoft tools).

VMware templates are not a good way to install additional applications or updates or keep servers' configuration in sync. They're typically used in initial deployment scenarios, and that's the end of it. Trying to use a template to re-deploy a server every time something changes is going to be a major headache, in addition to the near-certainty of it not doing what you want to do.

HopelessN00b
  • 53,795
  • 33
  • 135
  • 209
  • Thanks, I had heard of system center, but never really looked into what exactly it was intended for. PowershellDSC is a new one on me also. Shall investigate further, thanks :) – James Edmonds Mar 13 '14 at 11:16