Hello,

I'm currently installing a TSE environment with windows 2012 r2.

What i got right now is a broker and an host session server.

Broker : 192.168.1.1

RDP Host Session : 192.168.1.2

I have configured the broker with HA (using wizard and an SQL server install) and i have enter into DSN round robin : rdcb.mydomain.com

Thx thing is, i want that every connection connect to the broker first, and then the broker dispach the connection to the host session server (i have a TSE farm in 2008 r2 server, and it work like that), but with round robin, i have configured into my DNS : 

rcdb = 192.168.1.2 which connect me automaticaly to the Host Session Server, and if i put 192.168.1.1, it connect to the broker the RDP session, but without redirect (i dont want my user to connect to the RDP server).

Someone know or can redirect me for installing the TSE farm 2012r2 with a broker and every user connect first to the broker, and then the broker redirect to the Host Session.

Thanks in advance.

im a bit confused to what you are doing here.

have you got one or two connection brokers? You only need HA if you are using 2 or more brokers, but you say you have a session host server and connection broker.

the DNS entry should be the point to ip address of connection broker.

when someone connects to the session host server they get redirected to the broker (assuming you are using published desktops / apps and not going direct through mstsc). If you go direct through mstsc, it should reject the connection and tell you it is part of a connection broker farm and you need to connect that way, unless you specify /admin in the mstsc connection

Hi

I got actually 1 broker and 1 session host server.

I have configured HA because i want the possibility to add an other broker later.

the way of connect are only session, not virtual desktop.

So when one of my thin client connect to the farm, i want it to connect to the broker and then the broker redirect the connection to the session host server.

okay so your roundrobin should just point to the connection broker, not the session host server.

what options do you get on your thin clients to configure? are they dumb terminals or are they windows based OS?

They are dumb terminal, i'm only able to enter an ip address, so round robin isnt really cool in that case.

The point is, when i enter to connect by rdp to 192.168.1.1, it does really connect and open a session on the broker, which is not what i want.

I want to enter on my thin client the ip address of the broker (to connect to) 192.168.1.1, and then, when the session open, the broker redirect me to the session server (like we cant open session on the broker, its just a server fronthead).

So when i enter to connect on 192.168.1.1, it goes on the broker, but then i want the session to be open on the session server i have added to my broker TSE farm, like here 192.168.1.2 and later 192.168.1.3, 4, 5 ...

you wouldn't connect to the round robin IP of your broker as this isn't how it works. The session hosts should redirect the request in essence to the connection broker when you connect up through a published app or desktop.

I've never used dumb terminals with 2012 farm so not sure how these work if you can only specify an ip address on them.

I'll do some research and get back to you - which model of terminal are you

I'm using Axel Terminal.

But this isnt the point. I got already a TSE farm in 2008 r2 where every client connect to the broker first, and the the broker redirect the session to the host session server.

I'm not talking about apps or virtual desktop but i'm talking about RDP session open on each server (with the windows desktop, and everything).

This isnt a problem of dumb terminal, i just dont want the client to open a session on the broker, but i want to pass by the broker to connect (like if the 192.168.1.2 is down, then the client wouldnt connect).

I understand what you want to do, but there are a number of differences between RDS in 2008R2 and 2012. 2012 uses collections, whereas 2008R2 doesn't.

Okey,

So is there is an other possibility to do what i want ? I just want an Ip (virtual or not) where my client can connect, and then, when they connect, this redirect the client session to the host session server with less charge on it.

I have found this : http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsserver/en-US/28b9f2cf-d611-4663-948d-9fff87f7f331/remote-desktop-services-2012-load-balancing?forum=winserverTS

But how can i set up what they are talking about : In Windows Server 2012 the RD Connection Broker is not only responsible for Load Balancing and reconnecting to existing sessions, it handles the initial connection. Meaning your users will all connect to the RD Connection Broker and (based on a RDP property) the RD Connection Broker will redirect to an RD Session Host server with the farm (what you describe as terminal servers) based on it's internal load balancing mechanism

Hi,

As per my research the way which you are trying to prepare first RDCB, then preparing for HA and after that you can add another server. (Refer this quote from below one of the article) Before adding a second server with the RD Connection Broker role we need to prepare the current RD Connection Broker for HA. Which means that during this process, the wizard will create a central database on a central MS SQL Server instance and will transfer the configuration to this database. Here providing you the link to understand more clearly regarding RD Connection Broker. 

1.  Installing and Configuring RD Connection Broker High Availability in Windows Server 2012
2.  Configure Remote Desktop Connection Broker in Windows Server 2012 with SQL Server 2012 High Availability

Hope it helps!
Thanks.

Hi,

i have already done the SQL install.

im still looking into this for you.

Im not sure if this will be supported and you may need to look at roundrobin on terminal servers, or NLB or something - none of which I have tested on 2012 so not sure if they will work.

this might do though

http://ryanmangansitblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/connection-broker-redirection-rds-2012/

i'd suggest you speak to Axel support and see the devices you are using support RDCB and RSH on 2012.

Hi, this isnt a problem from my thin client because actually i'm doing my test with my windows 7.

Anyway, i'm trying NLB by now, but NLB always redirect me on one server and not on the second one (have added both server into cluster)

for the connection broker to work you need to connect to a published application or desktop, not just by mstsc into the session host server. This is why I was wondering if the redirect option would work in the blog link I posted to you.

for NLB - you now have two 2 session host servers?

For NLB, i test with the broker and session host server.

i'm using mstsc from my windows 7 to make the test. The thing is, it always open me a session on my broker, but not on my oher server.

you can't nlb between a connection broker and session host server - they run two different roles.

You also don't use mstsc to connect to the farm - you publish a desktop or application and connect to that - then the connection broker kicks in and directs you to the best session host server

yes but thats the point.

I dont want to use publish, i want to use mstsc with an ip address to redirect me on one of my server.

Thats all.

yes I understand , but that's not how it works out the box on 2012.

take a look at the link I sent and see if that works. If not then I would suggest looking at and testing NLB on your SESSION HOST servers - not the RDCB servers.

Ok, i have an other machine ready for host session.

Do i need a broker or can i only setup the 2 host session server with NLB ?

a broker is needed in 2012, I don't think there is a supported way to install it without, but not tested or checked so may be wrong.

but you are effectively going to bypass the broker anyway

Okey i have setup the following thing : 

192.168.1.1 = broker

192.168.1.2 = hostsession1

192.168.1.3 = hostsession2

NBL between 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.3 (the 2 session host) is : 192.168.1.200

When now, i connect from my windows 7 to 192.168.1.200, it open a session on 192.168.1.2

then, if i connect an other session from my windows 7, same thing

then, i take an other server in my company, it connect on 192.168.1.2

I have connected 5 session from 5 differents computer on the network and every session have been redirect from my NLB on 192.168.1.2 (same server each time).

i'm a little lost ... I have configured my NBL as multidiffussion.

turn off the 192.168.1.2 machine and then see if you connect to 192.168.1.3 - this will prove nlb is working