[Samba] question on password server =

mj lists at merit.unu.edu
Wed Jun 14 07:59:39 UTC 2017


Hi,

I would like to ask how exactly the "password server =" smb.conf option 
works. The man pages say that the option is to "restrict Samba to to do 
all its username/password validation using a specific remote server"

I know that we should normally leave it empty, to have samba 
auto-discover the DCs. But my question is:

Suppose it's defined it like:
 > password server = samba4.domain.com

and the dns samba4.domain.com resolves to our DCs, like:

> root at pf:~# host -t A samba4.company.com
> samba.merit.unu.edu has address 192.168.0.1
> samba.merit.unu.edu has address 192.168.0.2
> samba.merit.unu.edu has address 192.168.0.3
> root at pf~# host -t A  samba4.company.com
> samba.merit.unu.edu has address 192.168.0.2
> samba.merit.unu.edu has address 192.168.0.3
> samba.merit.unu.edu has address 192.168.0.1

But DCs can be offline. Hence the question below:

Which scenario applies:
#1: samba talks to all three IPs for all connection attempts, and just 
waits to see which DC happens to be online / offline?

or

#2: samba talks to 192.168.0.1 on the first connection, and 192.168.0.2 
for the next? (using the round-robin dns)
 From load balancing perspective, this second option spreads the load 
much nicer, but when a DC happens to be offline, 1/3 of the connection 
attempts would timeout...

Can anyone tell me how this works?

MJ



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