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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."
According to TFA FOSS AD is not here yet by a long shot, in early alpha, many missing features. Summary is *terrible* in suggesting non-M$ AD is already here.
Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.
Exactly. You need CALs for stuff like:
AD
Exchange
Terminal Server
etc.
It adds up pretty quickly.
It's really a nightmare for IT Depts as they have to keep track of the CALs and ensure they have enough licenses to cover the number of users.
A careful reading of the TOS says that it is licensed via user or device CALs based on authenticated users..
They actually have an example if you use AD as back end authentication on a web site you have to buy a CAL for ever user, or magic uber-CALs for the web server.
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
It used to be a CAL came along with NT4 so you didn't need a separate one, but that is not the case anymore. MS said their customers wanted the simpler model of paying more for the same thing.
Of course, CALs and VLK upgrades are locked to specific versions so you have to keep buying them again and again to keep the additional rights.
The only happy area is that the CALs apply to all servers at once, so if you have a thousand users and a thousand servers you only need a thousand CALs.
No software checks this, but these are the terms.
It is really quite insane, but maximizes MS's profits.
See http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/client-licensing.aspx
And keep in mind that MS thinks performing an authentication against AD is accessing the server.
No...no...no
There are "per device" or "per user" licenses.
If you have 5000 computers but 40,000 users, it is probably cheaper to buy device licenses...so you can do that.
In addition, each server DOES require a server license (which is different than a CAL).
Windows is licensed like so
Standard edition license includes 1 phys server + 1 VM (on the same server)
Enterprise includes 1 phys server + 4 VM (again on the same server)
Datacenter includes unlimited server licenses of any type
Users with enterprise agreements or software assurance don't have to repurchase - they're covered under their contract.
I had the pleasure of formatting our Windows 2003 server this summer and completely replacing it with an Ubuntu Samba OpenLDAP Domain server using this tutorial... http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=640760 The server has been working flawlessly at our school since September! We ran out of CAL's and our school is expanding very quickly. It didn't make sense to purchase more and continue paying the micro$oft tax..