This topic describes the planning requirements for deploying a single Forefront Unified Access Gateway (UAG) DirectAccess server, or an array of DirectAccess servers.
Overview
Forefront Unified Access Gateway (UAG) can be deployed as a DirectAccess server, providing seamless access to internal resources for DirectAccess clients, and as a publishing server, providing access to internal applications via web sites and portals. You can deploy a single Forefront UAG DirectAccess server, or an array of multiple Forefront UAG DirectAccess servers. Traffic to the array can be load balanced. When planning for deployment of Forefront UAG DirectAccess servers, you must consider the following:
- Number of DirectAccess servers
required—You can deploy a single Forefront UAG DirectAccess
server, or expand your Forefront Unified Access Gateway (UAG)
DirectAccess capacity by deploying a load-balanced array of
DirectAccess servers that provide high availability and
scalability. Your decision to deploy a single Forefront UAG
DirectAccess server, or an array of servers, depends on a number of
factors, including scalability, fault tolerance, and failover
requirements.
- Array requirements—If you are
deploying an array of Forefront UAG DirectAccess servers, consider
your array deployment requirements.
- Network topology
requirements—Determine where you Forefront UAG DirectAccess
servers will be located in your organization.
- Firewall configuration requirements—If
the Forefront UAG DirectAccess servers are configured behind or
between firewalls, verify which protocols and ports must be opened
for DirectAccess traffic.
Requirements
This section summarizes the requirements for single or multiple server deployment.
Number of servers
Consider the following when deciding how many Forefront UAG DirectAccess servers you need to deploy:
- DirectAccess client
requirements—Clients requirements are determined by the number
of concurrent users using DirectAccess, and the Forefront UAG
DirectAccess configuration. For example, deploying Forefront UAG
DirectAccess with two-factor authentication, NAP, or extra
infrastructure servers will all reduce the number of concurrent
users that can connect to a DirectAccess server. To help you
determine your client and server requirements, read Verifying Forefront UAG
DirectAccess hardware requirements.
- Scalability requirements─By grouping
multiple DirectAccess servers into an array, you increase capacity
for throughout and number of users. Client requests are serviced by
all the array servers.
- Fault tolerance requirements─A single
Forefront UAG DirectAccess server does not provide fault tolerance.
If the server is unavailable, DirectAccess clients cannot connect
to the DirectAccess server. If fault tolerance is required, you
should consider the deployment of a load balanced array. In an
array configuration, each array member has the same configuration,
and provides the same service to DirectAccess clients. If one array
member fails, the remaining array members are still available and
client connections can continue.
- Failover requirements─To provide high
availability for remote endpoints, you can load balance traffic in
an array. If load balancing is enabled for the array, failover is
automatic, as DirectAccess client requests can be handled by any
available array member.
Array requirements
Planning for deployment of a Forefront UAG DirectAccess array requires the following:
- Each server must meet software and hardware
requirements for Forefront UAG installation. For more information,
see System
requirements for Forefront UAG servers.
- Each server must meet general DirectAccess
prerequisites. For more information, see System requirements for
Forefront UAG DirectAccess.
- In an array deployment, one of the array
members acts as the array manager and holds the configuration for
all array members. For communications between the array manager and
array members, plan for the following credentials.
- An account used by array members connecting
to the array manager server. These credentials are used when
initially joining the array, and subsequently each time the array
member connects to the array.
- An account used by the array manager server
when connecting to array members.
- An account used by array members connecting
to the array manager server. These credentials are used when
initially joining the array, and subsequently each time the array
member connects to the array.
- You can load balance array traffic using a
hardware load balancer or Windows network load balancing (NLB)
integrated into Forefront UAG. Requirements for integrated NLB are
as follows:
- Prefix requirements—Since Forefront
UAG can be deployed as a DirectAccess server and as a publishing
server, Forefront UAG enables load balancing of both SSL-based
traffic and DirectAccess traffic. To load balance all IPv6 based
DirectAccess traffic, the integrated NLB mechanism must examine the
IPv4 tunneling for all transition technologies. Because IP-HTTPS
traffic is encrypted, examining the content of the IPv4 tunnel is
not possible. To enable IP-HTTPS traffic to be load balanced, you
must allocate a wide enough IPv6 prefix so that Forefront UAG can
to assign a different IPv6 /64 prefix to each of the nodes. For
example, 2 array members require a /63 prefix (which enables
Forefront UAG to define a /64 address for each array member); 8
array members require a /61 prefix (which enables Forefront UAG to
define a /64 address for each array member). This prefix must be
routable to the Forefront UAG DirectAccess array, and is configured
during the Forefront UAG DirectAccess configuration.
- VIP and DIP requirements—If you want
to deploy an array with NLB, plan for the following dedicated IP
addresses (DIPs) and virtual IP addresses (VIPs). These will be
configured during array deployment, on the array manager
server.
- An Internet-facing static IPv4 address
(DIP)
- An internal network facing static IPv6
address (DIP)
- An internal network facing static IPv4
address (DIP)
- Two Internet-facing consecutive public IPv4
addresses (VIPs)
- An internal network facing IPv6 address
(VIP)
- An internal network facing IPv4 address
(VIP)
- An Internet-facing static IPv4 address
(DIP)
- If you want to use a hardware load balancer,
ensure that it is set up before array deployment.
- Prefix requirements—Since Forefront
UAG can be deployed as a DirectAccess server and as a publishing
server, Forefront UAG enables load balancing of both SSL-based
traffic and DirectAccess traffic. To load balance all IPv6 based
DirectAccess traffic, the integrated NLB mechanism must examine the
IPv4 tunneling for all transition technologies. Because IP-HTTPS
traffic is encrypted, examining the content of the IPv4 tunnel is
not possible. To enable IP-HTTPS traffic to be load balanced, you
must allocate a wide enough IPv6 prefix so that Forefront UAG can
to assign a different IPv6 /64 prefix to each of the nodes. For
example, 2 array members require a /63 prefix (which enables
Forefront UAG to define a /64 address for each array member); 8
array members require a /61 prefix (which enables Forefront UAG to
define a /64 address for each array member). This prefix must be
routable to the Forefront UAG DirectAccess array, and is configured
during the Forefront UAG DirectAccess configuration.
Network topology requirements
When determining where your Forefront UAG DirectAccess servers will be located in your corporate network, consider the following:
- Do you want to place DirectAccess servers
behind a frontend firewall?─In this configuration, the
Forefront UAG DirectAccess server is placed in the internal
network, behind a frontend firewall at the corporate edge. The
Forefront UAG server has one network adapter that routes to the
frontend firewall, and the other is in the internal network. The
advantages and disadvantages are as follows:
- It is the simplest firewall solution, requiring the least
amount of hardware and configuration.
- It provides a single point of data, as the Forefront UAG
DirectAccess servers, management servers, and infrastructure
servers, are all located within the internal network.
- The main disadvantage of this design is that the corporate
internal network is separated from the Internet by a single
firewall. Note that the Forefront UAG server itself is protected by
Forefront TMG running as a firewall on the Forefront UAG server.
Forefront TMG is installed by default during Forefront UAG
setup.
- It is the simplest firewall solution, requiring the least
amount of hardware and configuration.
- Do you want to place DirectAccess servers
between a frontend firewall and a backend firewall?─In this
configuration, the Forefront UAG DirectAccess server is placed in a
perimeter network, between a frontend firewall protecting the edge,
and a backend firewall protecting the internal network. With this
configuration note the following:
- Management servers can be isolated in the
perimeter network and separated from corporate content that is
intended for intranet access only.
- If content in the perimeter network is
compromised or corrupted as a result of Internet access, the
integrity of the content in the corporate network is retained.
- If Forefront UAG DirectAccess is located in
the perimeter network, and published servers or infrastructure
servers are located in the internal network, the backend firewall
must be configured to let the required protocols and ports through
the firewall, so that Forefront UAG DirectAccess servers can
operate as expected.
- Management servers can be isolated in the
perimeter network and separated from corporate content that is
intended for intranet access only.
Limitations
- All array members must belong to the same
domain.
- Using an external hardware load balancer, you
can deploy up to 50 servers in an array. Using integrated NLB,
deployment of up to eight array members is recommended.
- If Forefront UAG DirectAccess servers are
located behind a firewall or between an Internet edge firewall and
a backend firewall, a public IPv4 address is required, and
therefore the server should not be located behind a NAT (Network
Address Translation) device.
Planning steps
- Plan how many Forefront UAG DirectAccess servers you require
for your deployment, and that each server meets the necessary
system requirements.
- If you are deploying an array do the following:
- If you are using a hardware load balancer,
plan to deployment the load balancer before beginning your array
configuration.
- Create the accounts required for array
deployment.
- If you are using integrated NLB, plan the
required VIPs and DIPs
- If you are using a hardware load balancer,
plan to deployment the load balancer before beginning your array
configuration.
- If you are placing your Forefront UAG DirectAccess servers
behind or between firewalls, plan accordingly.
Allowing DirectAccess traffic through firewalls
Firewall requirements are summarized in the following table.
Firewall configuration | Allowed protocol and port | Details |
---|---|---|
Internet firewall – IPv4 Internet When Forefront UAG DirectAccess servers are located behind an internet edge firewall, the protocols and ports required depend upon whether Forefront UAG DirectAccess servers are located on an IPv6 or IPv4 Internet. |
|
Protocol 41—For DirectAccess clients that use the 6to4 IPv6 transition technology to encapsulate IPv6 packets with an IPv4 header. In the IPv4 header, the Protocol field is set to 41 to indicate an IPv6 packet payload. UDP 3544— For DirectAccess clients that use the Teredo IPv6 transition technology to encapsulate IPv6 packets with an IPv4 and UDP header. The Forefront UAG DirectAccess server is listening on UDP port 3544 for traffic from Teredo-based DirectAccess clients. TCP 443— For DirectAccess clients that use IP-HTTPS to encapsulate IPv6 packets within an IPv4-based HTTPS session. The Forefront UAG DirectAccess server is listening on TCP port 443 for traffic from IP-HTTPS-based DirectAccess clients. |
Internet firewall – Ipv6 Internet |
|
Protocol 50— Forefront UAG DirectAccess on the IPv6 Internet uses IPsec Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) to protect the packets to and from the Forefront UAG DirectAccess server without the encapsulation headers required for IPv6 transition technologies. In the IPv6 header, the Protocol field is set to 50 to indicate an ESP-protected payload. UDP 500—Forefront UAG DirectAccess on the IPv6 Internet uses the Internet Key Exchange (IKE) and Authenticated Internet Protocol (AuthIP) protocols to negotiate IPsec security settings. The Forefront UAG DirectAccess server is listening on UDP port 500 for incoming IKE and AuthIP traffic. |
Backend intranet firewall |
|
All IPv4 and IPv6 traffic— The Forefront UAG DirectAccess server must reach and be reachable by Active Directory domain controllers, management servers, and other intranet resources. You can begin with this initial filter, and then refine the filter over time to allow the subset of traffic needed by the Forefront UAG DirectAccess server. Protocol 41— ISATAP encapsulates IPv6 packets with an IPv4 header. In the IPv4 header, the Protocol field is set to 41 to indicate an IPv6 packet payload. Use this packet filter if you are using ISATAP to send IPv6 traffic across your IPv4-only intranet. |
Configuring firewalls for Teredo connectivity
The Teredo transition technology is used by DirectAccess clients behind NAT devices. Firewalls must be configured specifically to allow Teredo traffic, otherwise clients behind NAT devices cannot be managed remotely, or connect to intranet resources over Teredo. Configure the following:
- Allow inbound ICMPv6 Echo Requests on all
intranet computers—To ensure that a destination is reachable,
Teredo clients send an ICMPv6 Echo Request message, and wait for an
ICMPv6 Echo Reply message. For a Teredo-based DirectAccess client
to communicate with an intranet resource, that resource must accept
inbound ICMPv6 Echo Request messages.
- Enable edge traversal on inbound
management traffic—If you are using Windows Firewall with
Advanced Security to block unsolicited inbound traffic, you already
have a set of inbound rules that allow the traffic from your
management servers. Because DirectAccess clients located behind NAT
devices will use Teredo for IPv6 connectivity to the Forefront UAG
DirectAccess server, you must enable edge traversal on this set of
inbound rules.
- Enable inbound ICMPv6 Echo Requests for
management traffic— For a managed DirectAccess client computer
to be reachable over Teredo, ensure that the computer has an
inbound rule for ICMPv6 Echo Request messages, with edge traversal
enabled. The Netsh.exe command for this rule is as follows:
- netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Inbound ICMPv6
Echo Request with Edge traversal" protocol=icmpv6:128,any dir=in
action=allow edge=yes profile=public,private
- netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Inbound ICMPv6
Echo Request with Edge traversal" protocol=icmpv6:128,any dir=in
action=allow edge=yes profile=public,private
Configuring firewalls for management servers
To configure firewalls for management servers, you must do the following:
- Configure inbound firewall rules to allow
management of DirectAccess clients on the Internet—To allow
remote management of DirectAccess clients, do one of the
following:
- If you already have an existing set of
inbound firewall rules for management traffic on your intranet,
configure these rules so that they also apply to the public and
private profiles, and have edge traversal enabled. Although easier
to configure, this option is not recommended because the inbound
rules might allow greater exposure than intended.
- Alternatively you can create a duplicate set
of inbound firewall rules for your management traffic in the group
policy object for DirectAccess clients so that they:
- Only apply to the public and private
profiles
- Have the appropriate source IPv6 addresses of
management computers, or the IPv6 prefix of your intranet
- Have edge traversal enabled
- Only apply to the public and private
profiles
To create the connection rules below using the Netsh command-line tool, but in a GPO context, see Use Netsh to Configure GPOs (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=169485).
- If you already have an existing set of
inbound firewall rules for management traffic on your intranet,
configure these rules so that they also apply to the public and
private profiles, and have edge traversal enabled. Although easier
to configure, this option is not recommended because the inbound
rules might allow greater exposure than intended.
- Configure edge traversal— Your
existing set of inbound packet filters that allow management
computers to initiate connections with your intranet computers,
must be modified to enable edge traversal for Teredo-based
DirectAccess clients. For information about creating inbound rules,
see Create an Inbound Program or Service Rule
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=178213)
You can enable edge traversal for a Windows Firewall inbound rule in the following ways:
- Using the Windows Firewall with Advanced
Security snap-in, obtain the properties of an inbound rule, click
the Advanced tab, then, in Edge traversal select
Allow edge traversal.
- Use the edge=yes option for the
netsh advfirewall firewall command when adding or changing
an inbound rule.
- Using the Windows Firewall with Advanced
Security snap-in, obtain the properties of an inbound rule, click
the Advanced tab, then, in Edge traversal select
Allow edge traversal.
The following is an example of a Netsh.exe command that enables edge traversal for the built-in Remote Desktop (TCP-In) inbound rule:
netsh advfirewall firewall set rule name=”Remote Desktop (TCP-In)” dir=in new edge=yes
To further ensure that the Remote Desktop connection is authenticated and encrypted, use the following Netsh.exe command:
netsh advfirewall firewall set rule name=”Remote Desktop (TCP-In)” dir=in new security=authenc edge=yes
To use the security=authenc setting, ensure that there is a connection security rule that protects the connection between the remote desktop computer and the DirectAccess client.
If the computer that is managing a DirectAccess client from the intranet is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, and IPsec transport mode is required between the managing computer and the DirectAccess client, both computers must have the same quick mode lifetime.