All posts in category Windows Server 2008 R2

Microsoft DirectAccess Formally Deprecated

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.

Additional Information

Deprecated Features for Windows Client

Always On VPN and Windows Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS)

As I’ve written about in the past, Windows 10 Always On VPN has many advantages over DirectAccess. One of the most important features is that Always On VPN is completely infrastructure independent. Always On VPN is implemented entirely on the client side, so there is no reliance on Windows infrastructure servers at all. In theory, you could deploy an Always On VPN solution using an entirely third-party backend infrastructure. This is crucial because many organizations already have security infrastructure in place today. However, there are still some compelling reasons to choose Windows Server 2016 as the VPN server to support Windows 10 Always On VPN.

Considerations for Windows Server

Windows Server 2016 includes a very capable VPN server in the Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) role. Using Windows Server 2016 RRAS will meet the requirements for many deployment scenarios. RRAS also provides some unique advantages too. The following are some important considerations for choosing RRAS for VPN.

Easy to Deploy

The RRAS role in included in all Windows server network operating systems and can be enabled easily using the GUI or PowerShell. RRAS is mature and well-documented, making installation and configuration simpler. In fact, all of the Microsoft Windows 10 Always On VPN documentation guidance references RRAS.

Reduced Costs

No investment in proprietary hardware is required, because RRAS runs on Windows Server 2016 and can be deployed on existing virtual infrastructure. Deploying additional RRAS virtual machines enables quick and efficient scaling up of the solution without the need to deploy additional expensive hardware. Importantly, RRAS requires no additional per-client or per-device licensing. In addition, RRAS can be managed using existing Windows administration skill sets and does not require dedicated, and often expensive solution-specific expertise.

Modern Protocol Support

RRAS includes support for modern VPN protocols such as Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) and Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP). IKEv2 is the protocol of choice or most deployments, and is required for supporting the device tunnel. SSTP is a firewall-friendly protocol that ensures remote Windows clients can connect from anywhere. Layer Two Tunneling Protocol over IPsec (L2TP/IPsec) and Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) are also supported for legacy client compatibility.

Summary

Although Windows 10 Always On VPN can be implemented using third-party VPN servers, it’s important not to overlook Windows server either. Windows Server 2016 RRAS has some important advantages over third-party infrastructure. RRAS is mature and well understood, with an abundance of published documentation available. Leveraging RRAS eliminates the need for costly proprietary hardware and client licensing, while at the same time reducing administrative overhead and streamlining support. RRAS also includes native support for modern VPN protocols, ensuring reliable client connectivity from any location.

Additional Resources

3 Important Advantages of Windows 10 Always On VPN over DirectAccess

Windows 10 Always On VPN and the Future of DirectAccess

5 Things DirectAccess Administrators Should Know About Always On VPN

21 Comments

by Richard M. Hicks on January 2, 2018 • Permalink

Posted in Always On VPN, AOVPN, PowerShell, Remote Access, VPN, Windows 10, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016

Tagged Always On VPN, AOVPN, IKEv2, L2TP, L2TP/IPsec, PowerShell, PPTP, Remote Access, routing and remote access service, RRAS, SSTP, VPN, VPN server, Widows, Windows 10, Windows 10 Always On VPN, Windows Server 2016, Windows Sever

Posted by Richard M. Hicks on January 2, 2018

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2018/01/02/always-on-vpn-and-windows-routing-and-remote-access-service-rras/

DirectAccess and NetMotion Mobility Webinar

Update: You can view the on-demand recording of this webinar here.

For many years, DirectAccess has been the gold standard for enterprise remote access. Its seamless and transparent operation improves productivity for mobile workers, and since it is always on, administrators enjoy improved visibility and management for their field-based assets.

As incredible as DirectAccess is, it is not without its limitations. For example, DirectAccess works only with Windows Enterprise edition clients that are joined to the domain. Professional Edition and non-domain joined machines are not supported. It also lacks many of the security features enterprise organizations require, such as device health checks and granular network access. In addition, DirectAccess communication is complex, with many different layers of encapsulation, authentication, and encryption. High protocol overhead can lead to poor performance over high latency or low bandwidth connections.

NetMotion Mobility is a secure remote access solution that is an excellent alternative to DirectAccess. It provides the same seamless, transparent, always on remote connectivity that DirectAccess provides, while at the same time offering much more in terms of features and capabilities. It supports a much broader range of clients, includes native Network Access Control (NAC) and application filtering, and offers enhanced performance.

To learn more about NetMotion Mobility, join me on Wednesday, September 20 at 10:00AM PDT for a free live webinar with NetMotion. I’ll provide an overview of NetMotion Mobility and how it compares with DirectAccess. I’ll also demonstrate how it can help overcome some of the inherent limitations of DirectAccess too. Register today!

1 Comment

by Richard M. Hicks on September 7, 2017 • Permalink

Posted in DirectAccess, education, NetMotion, NetMotion Mobility, Remote Access, Security, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016

Tagged DirectAccess, NetMotion, NetMotion Mobility, Remote Access, security, webinar

Posted by Richard M. Hicks on September 7, 2017

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2017/09/07/directaccess-and-netmotion-mobility-webinar/

Richard M. Hicks Consulting, Inc.

Awards

Pluralsight

Consulting

Newsletter

All posts in category Windows Server 2008 R2

Always On VPN and Windows Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS)