Friday, 20 January 2012

With Microsoft Direct Access, Who Needs VPN?

By Ramesh Tebstone


Do you ever require a file from the business office computer, but you're on the train, at home or away from your desk? Wouldn't it be great to have immediate access to computer data regardless of your position? This feature of Server 08 R2, makes this probable. Using the Internet along with the built in networking function in your Windows 7 PC, data can be retrieved at a glance.

Precisely what is Direct Access?

Immediate access on Microsoft's 2008 R2 server is a technology which uses the online market place to connect an end user system and servers to other network resources, be they inside or outside of the corporate LAN.

In earlier times, in order for a remote computer to connect to the internal enterprise geographic area network, a VPN, or virtual private network had been required. This too used the web as the link involving server and client, but requires several things: client software installed on the workstation, end user initiation of the "dialer" to connect their PC to the company LAN, and IT installation and management with the VPN client software.

How do you find it Used?

As soon as configured, the remote user connects to the server with no customer interaction besides turning relating to the PC and choosing the corporate network.

Once the employee connects to the web, they will be presented with all the servers and resources to which they are granted permissions. This includes email, printers, and other computers.

Correctly professional, there is you don't need to manage a VPN client as being the solution operates from the machine level, meaning the computer can "know" what server is on the system. On their Home's windows 7 computer, will be described as a link to the company's multilevel.

Additionally, the server are useful to publish group policies to your end users to assistance manage software and computer configurations.

For companies that contain remote employees, mobile together with telecommuting workers, this technology can ease the burden of IT needing to own computer on site for software updates and management.

Not only do remote workstations and end users benefit, but other servers can connect to other resource servers running this feature. For illustration, if a global company comes with a internal SharePoint document database, remote servers located with regional offices can use the internet to access remote info, and then present people files or resource to their local users, without the need to have the data stored on the local server. Again, all servers communicating will have to have Direct Access.

What is Required?

It is necessary standards of Active Service, a Domain Controller together with DNS structure, the server ought to use R2 release with Windows 2008. Also, the server requires two inside network cards and a pair of public IP addresses. Microsoft's web server, Internet Information Server is usually mandatory.

Precisely how is Security Handled?

Much like other servers, you will configure authentication for end user and incoming connections. Other security services needed are generally PKI and IPSec. PKI certificates are issued on the clients to validate authenticity of the requester and the certificate over a public network, i. orite. the Internet.

IPv6 is not really required on the corporation LAN, but this technology can utilize the protocol. The IPv6 traffic will run across an IPv4 LAN and also the Direct Server feature termed ISATAP, "Intra-Site Automatic Canal Addressing Protocol" which handle this function when configured.

A direction-finding protocol included is Name Resolution Policy Table and NRPT. This protocol creates some sort of routing table on each DA client in a way that it will have learned to handle traffic directed on the DA server versus other Internet traffic, like search engines and basic web surfing. If you are sitting inside airport or a caf??, DA server traffic will be transferred directly to it and other traffic will be sent accordingly.

The huge benefits for You

Attributes of Windows 2008 R2 provide multiple benefits because of it management and end people. Whether your users are working at home, or sitting at the airport, an Internet hitting the ground with Direct access can easily link remote workers returning to the company and server options. Any data that is usually transferred in or out is secured using IPSec, records, encryption and user authentication. If you are considering using this solution, consult Microsoft's Deployment guide to get a successful project and rollout.




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