Networking between Linux & Windows 2000

[Guest]

We are scrutinizing Windows 2000 to see if it can be incorporated in our existing infrastructure for user and group policy management (basically to have a Windows DC side by side with our existing Linux NIS).

Basically our requirement is that Windows DC should be able to synchronize with our Linux user database (both username and password).

Our existing mail server is sendmail (with 6,500 user accounts) running on Linux (Eudora) and have NIS on Linux. Now if we incorporate a Windows DC in the same environment following issues will arise:
(1) All users will need to have two user accounts – one for mail & Linux network another for Windows network.
(2) I know it is possible to dump the Linux user accounts + passwords and include them in the Windows DC using a script (who wants to manually type in 6,500 accounts), but this is going to put both the domain (Windows and Linux) out of synchronization. For example, if an account is deleted in Windows domain it will remain in the Linux domain. Users will need to have duel password for Windows and Linux domain (if they change their password).

Our requirements are:
(1) We want to share user names across Windows and Linux domains. If a user account is deleted in the Windows domain it should be replicated in the Linux domain (and vice versa).
(2) If a user changes his/her password in Linux domain it should be replicated in the Windows domain (and vice versa).
(3) Optionally we want to redirect all Linux users home folder (especially mail folders) to Windows DC, so that we can have a central repository of user data.

It will be sufficient for us if Windows Active Directory can authenticate Linux users (username & password) and accept Linux user’s mail directories (home folders). We want to make sendmail authenticate users in Windows Active Directory and redirect user’s mail folder to user’s home directory in Windows DC.

We have not tested SFU, but would like to know if this is what we have to use. Don’t bother if this issue is complicated, we are happy with Linux (Linux is capable of realizing our wildest of network configuration); we are just evaluating Windows Active Directory to see if it fits and behaves well in our organization. We haven’t decided purchasing Windows, might do so after through evaluation.

Regards,
Alerteye

 

[Ozone]

Take a look at Service For Unix 3.5. It is free to download from MS, and it
does match the three objectives you have outlined below. It is also full of
*nix commands ported to Win32 so you will find it very handy for *nix
admins. SFU 3.5 is well worth the free down load and the time to test it.

Ozone

We are scrutinizing Windows 2000 to see if it can be incorporated in our

existing infrastructure for user and group policy management (basically to
have a Windows DC side by side with our existing Linux NIS).

Basically our requirement is that Windows DC should be able to synchronize

with our Linux user database (both username and password).

Our existing mail server is sendmail (with 6,500 user accounts) running on

Linux (Eudora) and have NIS on Linux. Now if we incorporate a Windows DC in
the same environment following issues will arise:

(1) All users will need to have two user accounts - one for mail & Linux

network another for Windows network.

(2) I know it is possible to dump the Linux user accounts + passwords and

include them in the Windows DC using a script (who wants to manually type in
6,500 accounts), but this is going to put both the domain (Windows and
Linux) out of synchronization. For example, if an account is deleted in
Windows domain it will remain in the Linux domain. Users will need to have
duel password for Windows and Linux domain (if they change their password).

Our requirements are:
(1) We want to share user names across Windows and Linux domains. If a

user account is deleted in the Windows domain it should be replicated in the
Linux domain (and vice versa).

(2) If a user changes his/her password in Linux domain it should be

replicated in the Windows domain (and vice versa).

(3) Optionally we want to redirect all Linux users home folder (especially

mail folders) to Windows DC, so that we can have a central repository of
user data.

It will be sufficient for us if Windows Active Directory can authenticate

Linux users (username & password) and accept Linux user's mail directories
(home folders). We want to make sendmail authenticate users in Windows
Active Directory and redirect user's mail folder to user's home directory in
Windows DC.

We have not tested SFU, but would like to know if this is what we have to

use. Don't bother if this issue is complicated, we are happy with Linux
(Linux is capable of realizing our wildest of network configuration); we are
just evaluating Windows Active Directory to see if it fits and behaves well
in our organization. We haven't decided purchasing Windows, might do so
after through evaluation.