Active Directory Comes To Linux With Samba 4

Da Massive writes in with another possible answer to a recent Ask Slashdot about FOSS replacements for Microsoft AD server. "Enterprise networks now have an alternative choice to Microsoft Active Directory (AD) servers, with the open source Samba project aiming for feature parity with the forthcoming release of version 4, according to Canberra-based Samba developer Andrew Bartlett. Speaking at this year's linux.conf.au Linux and open source conference in Hobart, Bartlett said Samba 4 is aiming to be a replacement for AD by providing a free software implementation of Microsoft's custom protocols. Because AD is 'far more than LDAP and Kerberos,' Bartlett said, Samba 4 is not only about developing with Microsoft's customization of those protocols, it is also about moving the project beyond just providing an NT 4 compatible domain manager."

Comments

Re:AD licensing

[Anonymous Coward]

You are correct.

Re:Finally..an alternative

[cencithomas]

If you're calling an imperfect alternative to insanity "fixed"...

...why, you must be a Windows 7 developer. ;)

Re:Finally..an alternative

[symbolset]

What's wrong with Micosoft's licensing model? You pay either per server or per seat. If you license some servers per server, and some per seat their monitoring software tells you how often you need to "true up", and if their software fails to do its math correctly they get to sue you and seize all your computers. That makes a lot more sense than Linux or BSD's licensing model where no matter how many clients or servers you have you don't have to pay. That's just anarchy.

Re:AD licensing

[Anonymous Coward]

Really, it is just a tax. A MS shop typically has to pay:
    - For a OEM license on windows
    - For a volume license upgrade on windows
    - For a device or user CAL for the windows machine/user
    - For a windows server license (per VM!)
    - For exchange server (and a windows server license)
    - Per user exchange CALs (yay!)
    - Office CALs for outlook

In comparison, a Linux shop typically has to pay:
  - Nothing for a volume license for Ubuntu Linux,
  - Nothing for license upgrades,
  - Nothing for the Linux client machine/user,
  - Nothing for a Linux server license (also nothing per VM),
  - Nothing for Openchange or Citadel on a server
  - Nothing per Openchange or Citadel user
  - Nothing for copies of Thunderbird or Evolution or Akonadi or Kontact

That is a lot of zeroes ... fortunately there is no "1" at the beginning though.

Re:AD licensing

[jalefkowit]

Probably somebody who knows how to spell "sheriff".

Re:AD licensing

[bbbaldie]

Hmmm...Obviously the teachings of KARL MARX figure prominently in your school's curricula... ;-)

Re:About Time...

[hairyfeet]

Reminds me of a story one of my former teachers told. He was working as a consultant for this decently large corporation. When taking stock of their computers he noticed an ancient NT server was sitting in the server closet doing their email and basic file serving. He went to the PHB and was told "I don't care what you change but do NOT touch that NT server! We had lots of problems until a IT guy we hired a few years back fixed it. It has never failed since and I do NOT want you messing with it!".

Of course being an IT nerd that instantly made him want to see what this "Miracle worker" had done. So one weekend while everyone was gone he plugged a monitor in to see what his magic recipe was. What he found was Red Hat 4 running with a text file sitting in \ with READ ME IMPORTANT. So of course he did. It said "The stupid boss thinks this is an NT server. Keep your mouth shut and everything will be fine. Dave". He of course choked on his coffee laughing, upgraded the RAM(which the PHB authorized) and soon after left the company. He said "it was too damned much like Dilbert."