Overview

VIP-IT enables the assignment of a distinct IP address from a pre-defined range to each Terminal Services session. VIP-IT also supports client IP address pass-through for identification purposes, and virtual loopback for applications that require the use of the loopback address 127.0.0.1 (i.e., ActiveSync).

Virtual Address

Many applications require a unique IP address per running instance. This is true of many client/server applications whose back-end databases will simply not allow multiple instances of the front-end to share the same IP address (figure 1). Therefore, running multiple instances of such front-ends on the same Terminal Server is not possible.

VIP-IT assigns each Terminal Server session its own unique IP address from a pre-defined range of valid IP addresses (figure 2). As a result, each Terminal Server session communicates with the back-end using its own unique IP address.

As shown in figures 3 and 4, applications that require a unique IP address per running instance are managed and configured using the Provision Management Console (PMC).

Session-based IP addresses are secondary addresses bound to the Terminal Server’s NIC. These addresses can be easily observed by running IPCONFIG from a command prompt.

Figure 1 – Many client/server applications will simply not allow multiple instances of the front-end to share the same IP address. Therefore, running multiple instances of such front-ends on the same Terminal Server is not possible.

Figure 2 – Each Terminal Server session communicates with the back-end using its own unique IP address.

Figure 3 – VIP-IT assigns each Terminal Server session its own unique IP address from a pre-defined range of valid IP addresses.

Figure 4 – Applications that require a unique IP address per running instance are managed and configured using the Provision Management Console (PMC).

Next: Loopback Address & Client Address Pass-Through