DirectAccess Manage Out and System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)

The seamless and transparent nature of DirectAccess makes it wonderfully easy to use. In most cases, it requires no user interaction at all to access internal corporate resources while away from the office. This enables users to be more productive. At the same time, it offers important connectivity benefits for IT administrators and systems management engineers as well.

Always Managed

DirectAccess Manage Out and System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)DirectAccess clients are automatically connected to the corporate network any time they have a working Internet connection. Having consistent corporate network connectivity means they receive Active Directory group policy updates on a regular basis, just as on-premises systems do. Importantly, they check in with internal management systems such as System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) servers, enabling them to receive updates in a timely manner. Thus, DirectAccess clients are better managed, allowing administrators to more effectively maintain the configuration state and security posture for all their managed systems, including those that are predominantly field-based. This is especially crucial considering the prevalence WannaCry, Cryptolocker, and a variety of other types of ransomware.

DirectAccess Manage Out

DirectAccess Manage Out and System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)When manage out is configured with DirectAccess, hosts on the internal network can initiate connections outbound to remote connected DirectAccess clients. SCCM Remote Control and Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) are commonly used to remotely connect to systems for troubleshooting and support. With DirectAccess manage out enabled, these and other popular administrative tools such as VNC, Windows Remote Assistance, and PowerShell remoting can also be used to manage remote DirectAccess clients in the field. In addition, enabling manage out allows for the proactive installation of agents and other software on remote clients, such as the SCCM and System Center Operation Manager (SCOM) agents, third-party management agents, antivirus and antimalware software, and more. A user does not have to be logged on to their machine for manage out to work.

IPv6

DirectAccess manage out requires that connections initiated by machines on the internal network to remote-connected DirectAccess clients must be made using IPv6. This is because DirectAccess clients use IPv6 exclusively to connect to the DirectAccess server. To enable connectivity over the public IPv4 Internet, clients use IPv6 transition technologies (6to4, Teredo, IP-HTTPS), and IPv6 translation components on the server (DNS64 and NAT64) enable clients to communicate with internal IPv4 resources. However, DNS64 and NAT64 only translate IPv6 to IPv4 inbound. They do not work in reverse.

Native or Transition?

It is recommended that IPv6 be deployed on the internal network to enable DirectAccess manage out. This is not a trivial task, and many organizations can’t justify the deployment for just this one specific use case. As an alternative, IPv6 can be configured with an IPv6 transition technology, specifically the Intrasite Automatic Tunnel Addressing Protocol (ISATAP). ISATAP functions as an IPv6 overlay network, allowing internal hosts to obtain IPv6 addresses and routing information from an ISATAP router to support manage out for DirectAccess clients.

ISATAP

When DirectAccess is installed, the server is automatically configured as an ISATAP router. Guidance for configuring ISATAP clients can be found here. Using ISATAP can be an effective approach to enabling DirectAccess manage out for SCCM when native IPv6 is not available, but it is not without its drawbacks.

• Using the DirectAccess server for ISATAP is only supported with single server DirectAccess deployments.
• Using the DirectAccess server for ISATAP does work when using Network Load Balancing (NLB) with some additional configuration, but it is not supported.
• Using the DirectAccess server for ISATAP does not work when an external load balancer is used, or if multisite is enabled.

ISATAP with Load Balancing and Multisite

It is technically possible to enable DirectAccess manage out for SCCM using ISATAP in load-balanced and multisite DirectAccess deployments, however. It involves deploying a separate ISATAP router and some custom configuration, but once in place it works perfectly. I offer this service to my customers as part of a consulting engagement. If you’re interested in restoring DirectAccess manage out functionality to support SCCM remote control, RDC, or VNC in load-balanced or multisite DirectAccess deployments, fill out the form below and I’ll provide you with more information.

Additional Resources

ISATAP Recommendations for DirectAccess Deployments
DirectAccess Manage Out with ISATAP Fails on Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016
DirectAccess Client Firewall Rule Configuration for ISATAP Manage Out
Video: Windows 10 DirectAccess in action (includes manage out demonstration)

Windows 10 Multisite DirectAccess with GSLB Webinar

Kemp Technologies LoadMaster Load BalancerWindows 10 clients include full support for all enterprise DirectAccess scalability and redundancy features, including automatic site selection and transparent failover for multisite deployments. However, the native site selection process is limited in functionality and often yields unexpected results.

To provide better client support for multisite DirectAccess, a Global Server Load Balancer (GSLB) solution such as the Kemp Technologies LoadMaster GEO can be deployed. Using the LoadMaster’s GSLB functionality can significantly enhance multisite site selection for Windows 10 clients. In addition, it can be used to enable new scenarios not supported natively such as weighted distribution and active/passive failover.

Kemp Technologies LoadMaster Load Balancer

To learn more about how address the shortcomings of DirectAccess multisite using the Kemp LoadMaster GEO, join me for a live webinar on Thursday, July 14, 2106 at 10:00AM EDT where I’ll discuss the following topics.

  • How Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) works
  • How Windows 10 clients choose an entry point
  • Understand the limitations of the native site selection process for Windows 10 clients
  • How to use the Kemp LoadMaster GEO to provide true geographic redundancy
  • How to enable active/passive failover for disaster recovery

You can register for this free live webinar here.

DirectAccess and Citrix NetScaler Webinar

DirectAccess and Citrix NetScaler Webinar

Updated 5/2/2016: The webinar recording is now available online here.

Join me on Tuesday, April 26 at 11:00AM EDT for a live webinar to learn more about integrating the Citrix NetScaler Application Delivery Controller (ADC) with Microsoft DirectAccess. During the webinar, which will be hosted by Petri IT Knowledgebase, you will learn how to leverage the NetScaler to enhance and extend native high availability and redundancy capabilities included with DirectAccess.

Eliminating single points of failure is crucial for enterprise DirectAccess deployments. DirectAccess includes technologies such as load balancing for high availability and multisite for geographic redundancy, but they are somewhat limited. DirectAccess supports integration with third-party solutions like NetScaler to address these fundamental limitations.

DirectAccess Multisite Geographic Redundancy with Microsoft Azure Traffic ManagerNetScaler is an excellent platform that can be configured to improve upon native DirectAccess high availability and redundancy features. It provides superior load balancing compared to native Windows Network Load Balancing (NLB), with more throughput and better traffic visibility, while at the same time reducing resource utilization on the DirectAccess server.

For multisite DirectAccess deployments, the NetScaler can be configured to provide enhanced geographic redundancy, providing more intelligent entry point selection for Windows 8.x and Windows 10 clients and granular traffic control such as weighted request distribution and active/passive site failover.

DirectAccess and Citrix NetScaler WebinarIn addition, the NetScaler can be configured to serve as the DirectAccess Network Location Server (NLS), providing essential high availability for this critical service and reducing supporting infrastructure requirements.

Click here to view the recorded webinar.

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