[Samba] Domains: Pros and Cons?

[Paul Gienger]

> 2) Anyone can log into any PC -- disadvantage
>    People have become used to not worrying about security on
>    their own PCs as nobody else could login.  Once "domained"
>    anyone can login.

There is an option in Samba 3 that is designed to work like the host 
attribute in LDAP.  Basically, you list the machine that people can log 
in on. 

> 3) Complexity
>    I am concerned about keeping this whole house of cards working with
>    a PDC in MtLaurel and "slave" PDCs in the other locations.   Our
>    people travel a lot and they need to use resources while in non-home
>    offices.  How do they join the MtLaurel PDC and then move to the 
> Sophia
>    one?  How do they use one inside the corporate network from outside?

We're currently planning on solving this issue with only one domain 
across our sites.  The plan is to set up DC boxes in each site, all 
connected to the same ldap data store, also replicated at each site 
naturally.  When a laptop is off the network, you still are allowed to 
log in with cached (I believe that's the right term) credentials as long 
as the user has logged in on that machine before.  However, you don't 
have access to the networked resources until such time as you connect 
with your vpn naturally.

-- 
Paul Gienger                     Office:		701-281-1884
Applied Engineering Inc.         Cell:			701-306-6254
Information Systems Consultant   Fax:			701-281-1322
URL: www.ae-solutions.com        mailto:pgienger at ae-solutions.com