Anyone have any experience with this in 2012R2 session collections?

Specifically I'm referring to server farms with more than 2 session hosts servers.  What i've done previously was limited to two rdsh servers and i just built them side by side.  Now i'm on a project with 5, I'd like to build one as a template, with as much configured as possible so should i need to replace a server or add an additional, with all the same hardware specs, i can do it with relative ease.  

i want to get it to a point that i run sysprep and shut it down and capture my image.  that master machine can then be booted back up and used in the collection.  then i can deploy the image to the next server, boot it up, add it to the collection and so on.  sounds easy enough, but there's some issues:

In order for the apps to work correctly in rds, the rdsh role needs to be installed first.  It also needs to be a member server.  But then the collection isn't specific to the server, and i need to create the collection to configure rds, but then when i sysprep the server and shut it down, it will be removed from the domain, but not the collection.

So whats an appropriate procedure?

Thanks. 

I should add, that UPD are enabled as well.

• Edited by Willmeister Friday, July 10, 2015 2:22 AM

Second part of this issue...after you install all of the user applications, can you remove the RDSH role, for whatever reason, and later add it back later and have the applications still work as intended in execute mode?

Hi,

In general you would create a standalone (not domain-joined) template VM with Server 2012 R2, RDSH, Desktop Experience, Updates, software, etc., and then sysprep.  It is a good idea to store a copy of each template VM in case you want to revert back to a prior version.  When ready you use this template to create your 5 RDSH servers, join each to domain, add to RDS deployment, and finally add to your session collection.

Depending on your needs you may want to automate much of the update process.  That way if you want to roll out a new image periodically you can do so with the least effort possible.  For updating you would log off all users, remove RDSH servers from session collection, remove RDSH servers from RDS deployment, remove RDSH servers from domain, then perform the original process for cloning RDSH servers.

Please note you should take care not to store any data on each RDSH server since you will destroy them during the regular update process.  You mention you are using UPD so there should not be any user data on each RDSH, however, sometimes there are applications that may store something in a strange location.

Thanks.

-TP

Thanks for the hints in the last two paragraphs.

The issue i'm having is in the first.  My master image has to be on the domain originally for various setups.  Sysprepping removes it, but that's really not an issue.  The problem i'm encountering, and this is in both VM and physical box installs, is that I don't think the RDSH role is a syspreppable role, which contradicts this https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh824835.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396 

If I remove the server from the collection, and also remove the RDSH role, reboot, and then run sysprep and shut down and capture that image, then it so far *appears* to work as one would expect.  I can leave the machine on the domain when i sysprep it and it just gets removed as part of sysprepping and that doesn't seem to matter.  When i deploy that image i need to add the server to the domain, add the RDSH role, then add it to the collection.  Seems to be a few too many steps, but if that's the end result I can script it in Powershell.

But I have a multitude of problems when i leave that initial server as part of the collection, and since it's the only server IN the collection it's a double edged sword....more testing in the next few days off hours for sure.

Thank you.