[PLUG] Linux and Active Directory?

[Carlos Konstanski]

On Thu, 28 Jan 2010, Mike Connors wrote:

> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:51:52 -0800
> From: Mike Connors <mconnors1 at gmail.com>
> Reply-To: "General Linux/UNIX discussion and help;	civil and on-topic"
>     <plug at lists.pdxlinux.org>
> To: "General Linux/UNIX discussion and help;	civil and on-topic"
>     <plug at lists.pdxlinux.org>
> Subject: [PLUG] Linux and Active Directory?
> 
> I seem to see in many Linux Sys Admin job postings a requirement for AD
> experience. Is this is a case where
> you have Linux/Unix servers but run MS Win on the desktop and the MS Win
> clients don't play well w. OpenLDAP and/or NIS?
>
> Am I incorrect in my perception that AD has pretty much taken over Dir
> Services except for shops that are all Solaris, Novell, or old-school
> Unix purists who still use NIS?
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I worked at a business that was Microsoft all the way, but some IT
folks (like myself) had the freedom to use linux, and many servers
were linux or solaris (especially oracle servers). The servers were
never set up with AD interoperability (why have a server in a locked
room that is set up for anybody to log onto?), but some of the IT
desktops were. I personally didn't mess with it, except as a proof of
concept to make sure I understood how to do it. It took all of 10
minutes to get it working on a gentoo box with no prior experience
with it. It's not that tough.

The problem with a lot of firms is that they need software that is
only written for Windows. This was an engineering firm, where they
used a lot of SmartPlant, Benteley and AutoCAD software. Once the
constraint of Windows on the desktop is in place, the path of least
resistance is to use Windows for everything else as well. You have to
be able to support the workstations, therefore you need windows
techs. They are going to be more comfortable with AD and Exchange than
OpenLDAP and postfix. But as soon as you throw oracle in the mix, you
introduce linux servers, and probably another team of admins who are
linux guys. Then comes the turf wars and tension.

Carlos