Windows MultiPoint Server

Windows MultiPoint Server

Developer(s)	Microsoft
Stable release	2012 / 15 November 2012
Type	Operating system
License	Proprietary commercial software
Website	www.microsoft.com/windows/multipoint

Windows MultiPoint Server is an operating system based on Microsoft Windows Server using Remote Desktop Services technology to host multiple simultaneous independent computing stations or terminals connected to a single computer. Windows MultiPoint Server 2012 was the final release as an independent SKU and has been superseded by the MultiPoint Services role in Windows Server 2016.

Versions

Windows MultiPoint Server 2010

This version was released in February 2010 and is based on Windows Server 2008 R2.^[1] Multiple stations can be added to a WMS 2010 host computer by connecting a single monitor, USB 2.0 hub, keyboard and mouse for each station. Hardware requirements for MultiPoint stations are non-proprietary, and virtually any multi-monitor video card, mouse, keyboard and monitor that is supported on Windows Server 2008 R2 can be used to build a station.^[2]

Windows MultiPoint Server 2010 is available for purchase via either OEMs or Academic Volume Licensing. The Academic version, acquired via Academic Volume Licensing, supports domain join and no licensing restrictions on station count (however, hardware limits still apply), but requires a Windows Server 2008 R2 CAL and a Windows MultiPoint Server 2010 CAL per station, while the non-Academic version that is acquired via OEMs is limited to 10 stations maximum and does not support domain join, but only requires a Windows MultiPoint Server 2010 CAL per station and no Windows Server 2008 R2 CALs.^[3]

Windows MultiPoint Server 2011

Windows MultiPoint Server 2011, based on Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, was released to manufacturing on 10 March 2011.^[4] New features in Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 include:

• The ability to add connect stations and thin clients over the LAN via traditional RDP clients
• Support for RemoteFX capable thin clients
• A shared management console extensibility with Windows Small Business Server 2011 and Windows Home Server 2011
• The ability to be backed up by Windows Small Business Server Essentials 2011 (the only server SKU that allows and supports this)^[5]
• Features that allow administrators to view and interact with thumbnails of station desktops, including
  • Projecting a single station's desktop to one or all stations^[6]
  • Locking the keyboard and mouse of station and displaying a message
  • Remotely opening and/or closing applications
  • Restricting internet browsing to a specific list of sites or blocking browsing to a specific list of sites
• Management of multiple WMS servers and stations from within a single administration console
• Support for running within a virtual machine
• Distribution through a wider variety of distribution channels for both editions

In addition, unlike Windows MultiPoint Server 2010, Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 has Standard and Premium editions. The following table compares the two editions' differences; they share all other features equally.^[3][7][8]

	Standard	Premium	Notes
Maximum simultaneous stations (licensing limit)	10	20	Hardware limits still apply and Client Access Licenses are required (see below)
Maximum Random access memory	8 GB	32 GB	Motherboard limitations still apply
Supported processor sockets	1	2	Only x86-64 sockets are supported.
Domain join	No	Yes	See also:Active Directory
Hyper-V support	No	Yes	"1 on 1" licensing model for the Premium edition.
Licensing	1 OS license per WMS instance, 1 WMS 2011 CAL per station, and for copies purchased through Volume Licensing, 1 Windows Server 2008 CAL per station as well.		All licenses are sold either via OEMs or Volume Licensing.

Windows MultiPoint Server 2012

On November 27, 2012, Microsoft released Windows MultiPoint Server 2012 to manufacturing.^[9] This is the first version of MultiPoint to be based on Windows Server 2012, and contains several new features and upgrades from previous versions:

• The addition of the MultiPoint Dashboard, an application that allows specific non-administrator users to monitor and interact with user desktops
• The ability to create stations from virtual machines running on the WMS server Premium - Not available on the Standard version.
• Disk protection, a server feature that discards changes made to the server during user sessions similar to Windows SteadyState
• Windows 8 desktop experience for users, including access to the Windows Store
• Monitoring client computers running Windows 7 or 8 with the MultiPoint Server Connector

Windows Server 2016

Includes the ability to deploy a server in a multipoint role

See also

• Multiseat configuration
• Microsoft Servers
• Windows Multipoint Mouse
• Windows Server

References

1. "Windows MultiPoint Server 2010 Brings More Affordable Computing for Education *The link is no longer working*". Windowsteamblog.com. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
2. "Windows MultiPoint: Learn More". Microsoft. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
3. "How to Buy | Windows MultiPoint Server 2011". Microsoft. 1 February 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
4. "Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 has RTM'd!!!". Windows Multipoint Server Team Blog. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
5. "Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 and Interaction with Small Business Server 2011 Essentials". The Official SBS Blog. 23 February 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
6. "2011 | Windows MultiPoint Server 2011". Microsoft. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
7. "Windows Multi Point 2011 and How it Fits into Your Small Business". SeanDaniel. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
8. "Did you know this about multipoint server?". Msmvps.com. 6 March 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
9. Goddard, Steven (November 27, 2012). "Windows MultiPoint Server 2012 released to manufacturing, available for evaluation today!". Technet. Retrieved January 20, 2013.

External links

• Official website