Remote access can offer a huge productivity boost to mobile and offsite workers, as it enables anytime, anywhere connections to the corporate network without all the usual constraints. It also affords much easier IT management of remote PCs.

DirectAccess is new Windows Server 2008 R2/Windows 7 technology that, according to TechRepublic's Debra Littlejohn Snider, "promises to revolutionize the entire remote access experience." Hence her recent post, 10 things you should know about DirectAccess. Here's an excerpt:

Client applications must be IPv6 aware

While the goal is to provide a computing experience that is the same as the corpnet-connected client, there is one major difference between the corpnet client and the DirectAccess client: The DirectAccess client must use and always uses IPv6 to connect to the DirectAccess server. That means that the client application on the DirectAccess client must be IPv6 aware. If the client application is not IPv6 aware (for example, the current OCS client), the connection will fail. This is true even if you use an IPv6 to IPv4 translator, which enables DirectAccess clients to connect to IPv4 servers on the corpnet.

Snider also explains the goal of using DirectAccess, the requirements for a DirectAccess deployment, and the important role played by certificates. It's enlightening reading for IT managers and staffers alike.

Looking for more info on DirectAccess? Check out Microsoft's Getting Started page.

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