How to remote a single application, rather than the entire desktop

I would like to run an application on one Windows machine (2008 server preferably, but any platform is okay) and display the UI on another Windows workstation.

I'm not sure what blend of technologies I need to do this. I've looked at MS Application Virtualization 4.5 (formerly SoftGrid), but that's not quite what I'm looking for. I don't want the app to run on the local host, just a remote interface. All app CPU activity and network activity needs to be localized on the remote host.

I know it's dissimilar technologies, but think "Parallels" for the Mac... is this even possible with Windows Remote Desktop/Terminal Services?

From serverfault Simon Gillbee

• Sounds like you need Terminal Services Remote Apps, which is in Server 2008. As the technet blurb says:

  With Terminal Services, organizations can provide access to Windows®-based programs from almost any location to almost any computing device. Terminal Services in Windows Server® 2008 includes Terminal Services RemoteApp (TS RemoteApp). You can use several different methods to deploy RemoteApp programs, such as Terminal Services Web Access (TS Web Access). With TS Web Access, you can provide access to RemoteApp programs through a Web page over the Internet or over an intranet. TS Web Access is also included in Windows Server 2008

  Im not sure if a web interface is good enough for what you need, or if your looking for something more integrated. See here for details on TS Remote Apps and here for details on how to do it.

  David Collantes : Actually, I will point him to this instead: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753844.aspx as he isn't setting up TS RemoteApp just yet, he is just asking for information on the technology.

  Sam Cogan : good point, thanks. Have updated the post.

  Simon Gillbee : Thanks for the info. I will play with this today and see if it meets my needs :)
  From Sam Cogan

• Citrix does this (seamless window) if you want to pay for it, or as already answered - this is possible as part of the Server 2008 and onwards without Citrix.

  You can even package this as an msi and do a very simple policy deploy of it to user's start menus ^^

  There are also a few hacks out there to do this with the old Terminal Services and some viewport cropping... I haven't tried them though.

  seanyboy : Citrix does do it, but with Win2K8, you don't need Citrix.

  Oskar Duveborn : Yeah I wrote that, but I've tried to clarify my hopelessly vague sentence now ;)
  From Oskar Duveborn

• If you want your users to run an application on a server with the GUI on a client, then they can do this using Server 2008. Install Remote Applications. For the client side to work, they need to be running XP service Pack 3 or Vista Service Pack 1. For printing over the internet, you'll need Vista Service Pack 1, or XP Service pack 3 with .NET Framework 3.5 installed.

  Simon Gillbee : What is "Remote Applications". Are you talking about Terminal Services RemoteApps like Sam's earlier answer. Or something else.

  seanyboy : re: "Are you talking about Terminal Services RemoteApps." Yes. I am.
  From seanyboy