Unlock Multi-session capabilities for your BYOP VDI solution and Amazon WorkSpaces Core using Windows Server OS

In the ever-evolving landscape of cloud computing and remote work solutions, Amazon WorkSpaces Core has emerged as a game-changer, particularly when paired with the powerful Omnissa Horizon platform. This innovative combination offers unparalleled flexibility and scalability for organizations seeking robust virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions. By leveraging WorkSpaces Core to run Microsoft Server operating systems, businesses can now deploy manual pools, automated pools, and support multiple concurrent users with ease. This blog post will explore how this integration revolutionizes desktop delivery, enhances productivity, and provides IT administrators with granular control over their virtual workspace environments. Whether you're managing a small team or a large enterprise, the Omnissa Horizon and Amazon WorkSpaces Core duo promises to streamline your VDI deployment and management processes.

Look at new updates on Amazon WorkSpaces Core documentation site for latest updates.

Prerequisites

Be sure to have the below setup and completed before proceeding forward, follow the steps on Amazon WorkSpaces Core documentation as well for more details.

• An AWS Account
• Setup and configure your Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)
• Setup and configure authentication using AWS Directory Service, be setup and configured as a standalone or connected to your existing directory service provider
• Ensure your AWS account and region meet the requirements before requesting Bring Your Own(BYOL) through AWS Support.
• Configure your VDI solution within your AWS account

Verify BYOL and BYOP

1. For BYOL
   1. Log into your AWS Account and go to Amazon WorkSpaces console
   2. Select Account Settings, from the left hand navigation pane
   3. Verify you see either Setup BYOL, or “BYOL is enable on your account with CIDR block ...“ under Bring your own license (BYOL)
2. For BYOP
   1. Enabled by default but BYOL is a requirement to bring your license for desktop operating systems.

Steps to deploy Windows Server desktop with license included

Once all the requirements and prerequisites are met, proceed to steps below. The first step is to set up a new base image.

1. Login AWS account and go to the region

2. Then go to Amazon WorkSpaces console

3. Then go to Bundles, left-hand navigation menu, then we need to filter by the provided Windows Server images

   1. Filter owner = Any bundle
   2. Filter hardware = Any hardware
   3. Filter operating system = Any operating system
   4. Filter protocol = BYOP
   5. Filter software = Any software

   

4. Select the Windows bundle from the list under the Name column

5. Click on Launch WorkSpaces and select the AWS Directory Services that was setup for BYOP on the next window that appears

   • Be sure that the Directory Service(DS) that you use is not an AWS Directory Service (DS) for Microsoft Active Directory (AD) Connector if you need to create a user in the DS. AD Connector is a proxy and cannot create users. through it.

6. Click Next

7. Select the user you want to click Next

8. Click Next on the next screen that asks you to select the Bundle, the Bundle was already selected and does not need to be selected on this screen

9. Select Always On and click on Next button

10. Confirm the Bundle name is correct and click the Next button

11. Then click on Create at the button

Set up a new base image and bundle - Manual or Automated Pool

In this section, we will go into how to take the new WorkSpaces desktop that was created in the previous section and build an image and bundle to use in a Manual or Automated Pool.

1. Locate the WorkSpaces desktop after it has been completely deployed and is in a healthy state
2. Remote desktop into the new Windows server OS desktop
   1. Follow the steps to on the re:Post article on how to connect to WorkSpaces using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)
   2. Login with administrator credentials to install and configure software on the desktop
      1. If you are setting up a Windows server to for multiples users to login at one time into the Windows server desktop, then go to Scenario 2 below for additional steps.
3. Install and configure the desktop as the base image with all the settings and applications required
   1. Follow the guidelines on the documentation on guidelines in setting up the desktop
   2. Follow the Omnissa Tech Zone General Image Prerequisites site for requirements to meet
   3. Create a Gold Pattern and Bundle
      1. Install all third-party software
      2. ** Install Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS)
      3. Install and configure Horizon agent when prompted, do not reboot
   4. On the Horizon Connection Server, register the Gold Image:
      1. Navigate to Settings > Registered Machines
      2. Select Others, then select the WorkSpaces Core instance
      3. Select Set Gold Image, then OK
   5. Return to the WorkSpaces Core instance and select Finish, then reboot.
4. Create an image and bundle from the WorkSpaces Core instance created above. This new Bundle will be used to provision automated pools. For information, please see Step 3: Create a custom image and custom bundle.
   1. If you need to create a manual pool, follow the steps on Creating a Manual Pool on Omnissa Tech Zone

** Next is to figure out the scenario you would use the new Windows desktop for. **

Scenario 1 - Windows desktop for multiple users or individual

Scenario 1 is about setting up a desktop for individual desktop or multi-user use per session desktop. Not where the desktop is used by multiple end users at the same time.

1. Once the golden image is setup and configured
2. Log into Omnissa Horizon Connection Server
3. Setup a manual pool or automated pool
   1. This would be the same process you would follow for any desktop pool
   2. Follow the steps on Automated Pools or Manual Pools

Scenario 2 - Multi-session Desktop

Scenario 2 is setting up the new Windows Server desktop to allow multiple users to access the desktop at the same time.

1. Before the golden image is finalized, you need to add Remote Desktop Service (RDS) client access license (CAL) licenses
   1. By default, RDS CALs and SAL are included in the Windows server Desktop that is deployed. Follow the prerequisites to insure you have the right CAL licenses to add
      1. FAQ: “A: Windows Server bundle options do not include a Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) Subscriber Access License (SAL) per Amazon WorkSpaces. Customers need to bring their or RDS CAL or SAL licenses for user or device access to WorkSpaces Core bundles Windows Server.”
   2. At a high level, be sure to you have available licenses and can bring them to AWS
      1. Once this is confirmed, then verify that the step to create a AWS Microsoft AD has been completed
      2. Set up a new Windows server instance in AWS EC2 console as the Terminal Licensing Server
         1. Add the server to the AWS Microsoft AD
         2. Configure the new EC2 instance as a Terminal Licensing server
         3. Authorize Terminal Licensing server in AWS Microsoft AD
            1. Add the new server name to the Terminal Server Licensing Servers security group in AWS Microsoft AD security group
      3. Go back to the new EC2 instance running Terminal Licensing server
         1. Install the RDS CAL on the new Terminal Licensing server and in the Terminal Licensing console in Windows
            • Additional information setting *up Microsoft CALs with the Windows server desktop is available on the AWS Bog (How to Enable the Use of Remote Desktops by Deploying Microsoft Remote Desktop Licensing Manager on AWS Microsoft AD)
   3. Go back to the Windows server desktop. Here are the steps to set up a Windows Server as a Remote Desktop Services (RDS) Session Host:

      1. Install Remote Desktop Services Role

         Install-WindowsFeature RDS-RD-Server -IncludeManagementTools

      2. Configure Session Collection

         # Create a new RD Session Collection New-RDSessionCollection -CollectionName "Corporate Session Collection" -SessionHost "SERVERNAME.domain.com" -ConnectionBroker "BROKERSERVERNAME.domain.com"

      3. Configure User Access Permissions

         # Add users or groups to the session collection Add-RDSessionUser -CollectionName "Corporate Session Collection" -UserName "Domain\UserGroup"

      4. Configure Session Host Settings

         # Set session time limits and other policies Set-RDSessionCollectionConfiguration -CollectionName "Corporate Session Collection" -MaxSessionCount 25 -IdleSessionLimitMin 60

      5. Configure and Adjust Group Policy for RDS

         ## Adjust Group Policy settings for RDS ## This can be done through Group Policy Management Console

      • These steps provide a basic framework for setting up an RDS Session Host.
   4. Now you can continue to setup the desktop with applications and Horizon as described in step 3 in the Setup a new base image and bundle section above
   5. Log into Omnissa Horizon Connection Server and configure the desktop in a Manual or Automated pool

Additional Resources

• AWS landing page on Horizon on Amazon WorkSpaces Core
• Deploying Horizon with Amazon EC2 and WorkSpaces
• Blog onExtending or Expanding Horizon to Amazon WorkSpaces Core **