Terminal Services Terminology

Terms such as Terminal Services and Terminal Server are often used interchangeably, but Microsoft uses them to represent different things:

Terminal Services is a family of related technologies, including Remote Desktop Connection (RDC), Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Terminal Server, Remote Assistance, and Remote Desktop for Administration.

Terminal Server is the name of the Windows Server 2003 component that enables multiuser access to applications running on Windows Server. Clients accessing this component must have a separate Terminal Server Client Access License (CAL), which is separate from the CAL required to access Windows Server 2003.

Terminal Server Mode, formerly Terminal Server Application Server Mode, describes the remote execution of applications for multiple users.

Remote Desktop for Administration was formerly named Terminal Services Remote Administration Mode. It allows administrators to run as many as one console and two remote virtual sessions for the purpose of administering a server. Remote Desktop for Administration is similar to Windows XP Professional’s Remote Desktop feature and requires no CAL.