Today, Microsoft has announced the formal deprecation of DirectAccess. Microsoft DirectAccess is a widely deployed enterprise secure remote access solution that provides seamless, transparent, always-on remote network connectivity for managed (domain-joined) Windows clients. First introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2, it’s been a popular solution with many advantages over ordinary VPN technologies of the past.
Windows Server 2012
DirectAccess was almost entirely rewritten in Windows Server 2012. Many of the features and enhancements offered for DirectAccess with the Unified Access Gateway (UAG – a separate product with additional costs) were built into the operating system directly. In addition, Microsoft introduced integrated load balancing and geographic redundancy features.
Demise of DirectAccess
DirectAccess relies heavily on classic on-premises technologies like Active Directory. All DirectAccess servers and clients must be joined to a domain. In addition, all DirectAccess clients must be running the Enterprise edition of Windows. With organizations rapidly adopting cloud services such as Azure and Entra ID, Microsoft began to develop an alternative solution that better integrated with the cloud. That solution is Always On VPN. With that, Microsoft stopped developing DirectAccess after the release of Windows Server 2012 R2. No new features or capabilities have been added to DirectAccess since that time.
Deprecation
We’ve been speculating about the end of life for DirectAccess for quite some time now. However, this formal deprecation announcement from Microsoft is official. It is the end of the road for this technology. To be clear, though, DirectAccess is available today in Windows Server 2022 and Windows 11. DirectAccess will be included in the upcoming release of Windows Server 2025. However, formal deprecation from Microsoft means they will remove DirectAccess components from the next release of the operating system.
What Happens Now?
Organizations should begin formal planning efforts to migrate away from DirectAccess. Here are a few popular solutions to consider.
Always On VPN
Always On VPN is the direct replacement for DirectAccess. It was designed to provide feature parity for DirectAccess, with seamless, transparent, always-on remote network connectivity. However, Always On VPN better integrates with Entra ID and supports conditional access. It does not require domain-joined devices or servers and works well with cloud-native endpoints. Always On VPN is a good choice for organizations that employ hybrid Entra-joined devices.
Entra Private Access
Entra Private Access, part of the Entra Global Secure Access suite, is an identity-centric zero-trust network access (ZTNA) solution from Microsoft. It is in public preview now and has some compelling advantages over traditional VPNs. However, Entra Private Access is not feature complete today. In addition, it is best suited to cloud-native (Entra-joined only) endpoints.
Absolute Secure Access
Absolute Secure Access (formerly NetMotion Mobility) is a premium enterprise remote access solution with many advanced options. It is by far the best solution on the market today. Absolute Secure Access is a software solution that supports zero-trust configuration and includes many features to improve and enhance security, performance, and visibility. In addition, it provides cross-platform support, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android operating systems.
Learn More
We have several decades of experience working with secure remote access technologies. We can help you and your organization find the best solution for your needs. Fill out the form below for a free one-hour consultation to discuss your DirectAccess migration strategy today.
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