Routing and Remote Access Service

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What Does Routing and Remote Access Service Mean?

Routing and remote access service (RRAS) is a suite of network services in the Windows Server family that enables a server to perform the services of a conventional router. RRAS includes an application programming interface (API) that facilitates the development of applications and processes for administering a range of network services.

Windows Server 2000, 2003 and 2008 are integrated with various network services and specific APIs that enable a server to provide data and network routing functionality. RRAS, which transforms a Windows Server into a virtual/software router, is among these programming interfaces. RRAS applications cover a broad domain of network routing and enablement services, which can be centrally administered by the server domain controller.

Techopedia Explains Routing and Remote Access Service

RRAS provides a remote user with access to an internal network via a secured virtual private network (VPN) connection. This connectivity can be deployed using typical IP-based VPN services over the Internet. Or, like an Internet service provider (ISP), it can be deployed through dial-up services by allowing remote users to connect with the organizational network after authentication. RRAS also supports direct or site-to-site connectivity between two different remote servers.

According to Microsoft, services included in the RRAS suite are:

  • Remote access
  • Dial-up remote access server
  • VPN remote access aerver
  • IP router for connecting subnets of networks
  • Network address translation services
  • Other router-specific services
  • Dial-up and VPN site-to-site demand-dial router

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.