In a bid to minimise hardware complexity and overall cost for the small network I look after, I'd like to know how best to get DirectAccess up and running as simply as possible.
We currently have a single Windows server connected to the internet behind a firewall/router, about 20 office staff, and a further 5-10 'roaming' users. I'd like these roaming users to be able to connect to the office server with the least fuss possible. Looking at DirectAccess, it seems more user-friendly than some previous VPN solutions.
The load on the server would be small compared to large enterprise networks, with only Microsoft Exchange and a few applications running. Assuming the hardware is up to the job, we have a blank-canvas to a certain extent on software - I can obtain new Windows Server 2012 licences, and have the go-ahead to reinstall/upgrade the client machines to Windows 7 Ultimate/Windows 8 Enterprise if need be. However, I'd prefer if we only have one physical server (cost and space restrictions).
The documentation I've found seems to really only apply to larger networks and talks of multiple servers. Ideally, we'd still only have one physical server, but it seems the main barrier is that there is a requirement to have a separate Domain Controller server and DirectAccess server. Perhaps could we make use of virtualised software servers on the same physical server? If so, how?
Could someone direct me, or maybe you know of an official Microsoft guide or some other source, (perhaps a tutorial/diagram) that shows the most basic DirectAccess setup?
Thanks!