RemoteFX

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Microsoft RemoteFX is a Microsoft brand name that covers a set of technologies that enhance visual experience of the Microsoft-developed remote display protocol Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). [1] RemoteFX was first introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 and is based on intellectual property that Microsoft acquired and continued to develop since acquiring Calista Technologies. [2] It is a part of the overall Remote Desktop Services workload.

Contents

History

Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

RemoteFX components introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 include:

Windows Server 2012

In Windows Server 2012, the following components were added to RemoteFX. [6]

In addition, the following components were updated:

Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Enterprise

In Windows Server 2016 (RDP 10), the following components were added to RemoteFX. [13]

RemoteFX Media Streaming (H.264) replaced Multi Media Redirection (MMR). Note: MMR is now completely removed from RDP 10 given that RemoteFX Media Streaming works for all types of video content whereas MMR which just worked for some. [14]

RemoteFX vGPU Deprecation

Beginning in July 2020 RemoteFX vGPU was deprecated in all versions of Windows because of security vulnerabilities. It was scheduled to be completely removed in February 2021. [15]

Requirements

In Windows Server 2008 R2, the RemoteFX Codec could be leveraged for both session hosting (Remote Desktop Session Hosts) and VDI scenarios (and Remote Desktop Virtualization Hosts). The RemoteFX vGPU and RemoteFX USB Redirection features could only be used in VDI scenarios (Remote Desktop Virtualization Hosts). [16]

Windows 10 version 1511 brings RemoteFX to client Hyper-V, removing dependency on Remote Desktop Services role. [17]

Generation 2 VMs on Windows Server 2012 R2 do not support RemoteFX. [18] Windows Server 2016 added such support. [19]

In Windows Server 2012, all features of RemoteFX (with the exception of the vGPU) can be used with or without a physical GPU present in the server. [20] When no GPU is present in the server, a synthetic software-emulated GPU is used to render content. When a GPU is present in the server, it can be used to hardware accelerate the graphics via the RemoteFX vGPU feature.

RemoteFX vGPU Requirements

The RemoteFX vGPU has the following requirements: [21]

Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 has been tested for up to twelve virtual machines per GPU, for a total of twenty-four virtual machines on two physical GPUs. [21]

Although any GPU meeting the above requirements will be capable of using RemoteFX, the Windows Server Catalog carries an additional qualification to further define the requirements for server-qualified GPUs. These specifications define GPUs configuration requirements and provide VM performance targets. [24] Graphics cards that meet these are typically professional workstation products such as ATI/AMD's FirePro, v5800, v5900, v7800, v7900, v8800, v9800, and Nvidia's Quadro 2000, 3800, 4000, 4800, 5000, 5800, 6000, Quadro FX 2800M and 880M, QuadroPlex 7000 and Tesla M2070Q. [25]

Servers running the RemoteFX vGPU need to accommodate such graphics cards with either larger power supplies and more PCIe slots [26] or alternatively, connect existing servers to an external PCIe expansion chassis.

Guest OS requirements

The RemoteFX virtual graphics adapter is only supported by Enterprise editions of Windows, [27] starting from Windows 7 SP1. Other editions are missing the required drivers to use the RemoteFX graphics adapter and will fall back to the default emulated graphics adapter instead.

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References

  1. ↑ "Microsoft Announces New VDI Brand RemoteFX". Redmond Channel Partner.
  2. ↑ "Explaining Microsoft RemoteFX". Windows Virtualization Team Blog.
  3. ↑ "Introducing Microsoft RemoteFX USB Redirection: Part 2". Microsoft Enterprise Mobility + Security Team. 8 September 2018.
  4. ↑ "Introducing Microsoft RemoteFX USB Redirection: Part 3". Microsoft Enterprise Mobility + Security Team. 8 September 2018.
  5. ↑ "RemoteFX Codec". Microsoft Protocol Specifications.
  6. ↑ "What's New in Windows Server 2012". Remote Desktop Services Blog.
  7. ↑ "RemoteFX Adaptive Graphics in Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8". Remote Desktop Services Blog.
  8. ↑ "RemoteFX for WAN: Overview of Intelligent and Adaptive Transports in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012". Remote Desktop Services Blog.
  9. 1 2 3 "Windows Server 2012 Remote Desktop Services (RDS)". Windows Server Blog. 29 May 2020.
  10. ↑ "Fast and fluid audio/video experience with the new Lync and RemoteFX". Remote Desktop Services Blog.
  11. ↑ "Remote Desktop Services in Windows 8". concurrency.com.
  12. ↑ "RemoteFX – Windows Server 2008 R2 vs. Windows Server 2012". croftcomputers.wordpress.com. 23 April 2012.
  13. ↑ "RemoteFX vGPU Updates in Windows Server Next" . Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  14. ↑ "Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) 10 AVC/H.264 improvements in Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview" . Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  15. ↑ "Update to disable and remove the RemoteFX vGPU component in Windows" . Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  16. ↑ "Microsoft RemoteFX". Microsoft Technet. 2 July 2012.
  17. ↑ "After 9 months of begging, it looks like RemoteFX is coming to client Hyper-V". Reddit. 13 September 2015.
  18. ↑ "Generation 2 Virtual Machine Overview". Microsoft Technet. 25 October 2016.
  19. ↑ "RemoteFX and vGPU Improvements in Windows Server 2016 Hyper-V". September 2015.
  20. ↑ "Delivering a Fast and Fluid User Experience on WAN RemoteFX in Windows Server 2012". Remote Desktop Services Blog.
  21. 1 2 "Hardware Considerations for RemoteFX". Microsoft TechNet. 2 July 2012.
  22. ↑ "Your desktop will be a rich DX11-based experience, and your virtual GPU should be too". Remote Desktop Services Blog.
  23. ↑ "New and existing RemoteFX-enabled virtual machines do not start on a domain controller that is running the Remote Desktop Virtualization Host service in Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1". 23 February 2023.
  24. ↑ "RemoteFX Additional Qualifications". Windows Server Catalog.
  25. ↑ "RemoteFX qualified video cards". Windows Server Catalog.[ dead link ]
  26. ↑ "Is That a Graphics Card in My Server?". dcsblog.burtongroup.com.
  27. ↑ "RemoteFX vGPU Setup and Configuration Guide for Windows Server 2012". Microsoft TechNet Wiki. 17 January 2024.
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