Active Directory for Linux draws closer

David M Williams
Friday, 30 January 2009 17:56

IT Industry - Market

You might use Linux as a web server, the Intranet server, the mail server, a database server.

You might have core line-of-business applications – like grunty financial apps – that require Linux muscle.

You might even see the opportunity to have a Linux workstation, because it’s not just restricted to servers.

No matter the reason, the integration with Windows is fundamental for a totally transparent user experience and to simplify network maintenance. This is where AD is a key technology. This is the reason you don’t see more Macintosh computers in large companies; if they could join an Active Directory domain and prompt the user to login against that domain then Apple Inc would make inroads too.

Happily, the Samba team are working hard to release version 4 of their important platform which has feature-parity with AD as a major design goal.

Samba was originally developed in 1992 by Andrew “Tridge” Tridgell and has been recognised for the interoperability it has opened up.

Samba enables a measure of file and print serving and Windows Server domain integration but without full-blown AD integration. Its support varies across Windows platforms also, with a different level of success for Windows XP machines than Vista ones, and for Windows NT machines compared to those running newer Windows Server releases.

Additionally, Samba’s reputation betrays it, with complaints the product is difficult to configure, so even in situations where Samba was capable of meeting all the requirements it was still not a trivial undertaking.

All this is about to change. Speaking at this years Linux.conf.au conference in Hobart, Samba developer Andrew Bartlett spoke at length on Samba 4.

Bartlett said Samba 4 is aiming to be a complete free and open source AD replacement.

“I’ve been working on Samba 4 for four years to try and provide a way to not run Microsoft servers at the centre of the network,” he said.

Usability is also a major design objective with Bartlett saying that people should find Samba 4 “just works” without comprehensive documentation being first required.

At this time, there is no release date for Samba 4 but I’ll be waiting! This product will obliterate a major wall inhibiting Linux adoption into large heterogeneous networks. Samba 4 will pave a way for Linux to penetrate Windows networks.