Microsoft is currently cooking the first Beta of Forefront Unified Access Gateway Beta, planned for availability by the end of June 2009. One of the scenarios that the solution will enable in terms of IT infrastructure management will be seamless access for managed clients to enterprise resources. This is possible because Microsoft has embraced the DirectAccess technology in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 with Forefront Unified Access Gateway, the successor of Intelligent Application Gateway (IAG) 2007.

“Microsoft Frorefront Unified Access Gateway (UAG) utilizes DirectAccess technology built into Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 to create an enterprise level solution. UAG offers an all in one, end-to-end solution that lets the enterprise open its resources to managed clients in a seamless, painless manner,” said Nitzan Daube, Principal Program Manager Lead, UAG product group.

While with Windows 7's DirectAccess, companies will have to make additional investments in order to leverage the technology, such as adopting IPv6, UAG DirectAccess will be able to provide access to IPv4 servers. Microsoft has made sure that UAG comes with transition technology such as NAT64 and DNS64.

Daube explained that in order to fuel scalability, the Redmond-based company had built UAG so that it could embrace multiple Direct Access Servers in a cluster. Deployment and administration of UAG DirectAccess is done directly through the Unified Access Gateway management console, the software giant stressed.

“UAG also provides access, from within the same cluster, for down level and non Windows clients. As its name suggests, Unified Access Gateway provides multiple access scenarios for managed remote clients (via UAG DirectAccess) as well as unmanaged, or even ‘foreign’ remote access clients in a secure way. By utilizing various remote access technologies, UAG can publish business server applications to unmanaged clients enforcing various authentication methods,” Daube stated.