[Samba] Samba PDC, ldap or mysql????

[John H Terpstra]

On Thursday 25 August 2005 10:48, Mark Nehemiah wrote:
> Hi all,
>        I'm under the gun to rid ourselves of the nt4 PDC which we
> currently use.  options are A/D, samba, pgina.  I really dig pgina,
> but dont think I can pass citrix credentials properly :(  So I'm
> left with samba vs A/D.  A/D is well,, ummmmm   A/D, so tyring to
> avoid it.
>
> Currently have used Samba file servers for years.
> Have played with Samba PDC with2.2
>
> Now, going to try Samba3 pdc.  Have about 300 users.
>
> I'd really like to understand the advantages/disadvantages of ldap vs
> mysql for backend.  Would like our other *windows admins* to be able to
> add users,machines,groups etc. easily.
>
> I think I'd like best to store in mysql, but want to know if there's any
> functionality I'll miss using mysql instead of ldap.  seems ldap for
> backend has been around a while.
>
> I'd really like to hear from anyone using mysql for backend, or ldap

It your 300 users are all at one site, and you do not need BDCs, you could use 
the tdbsam for the passdb backend. I believe that LDAP is the preferred 
choice because it provides a lot more flexibility than the tdbsam backend.

I would not use the mysql backend because it is considered experimental only 
and support for it from the Samba Team is very limited.

The examples I used in my book "Samba-3 by Example" are all real-world 
networks. I have deployed Samba-3 and LDAP in several large sites. It works 
reliably.

- John T.
-- 
John H Terpstra
Samba-Team Member
Phone: +1 (650) 580-8668

Author:
The Official Samba-3 HOWTO & Reference Guide, 2 Ed., ISBN: 0131882228
Samba-3 by Example, 2 Ed., ISBN: 0131882221X
Hardening Linux, ISBN: 0072254971
Other books in production.