Overview; Features And Benefits - Novell OPEN ENTERPRISE SERVER 2.0 SP2 - DOMAIN SERVICE FOR WINDOWS Manual

Overview

1
Domain Services for Windows (DSfW) is a suite of technologies in Open Enterprise Server (OES) 2
SP1 and later versions that allows Microsoft* Windows users to access OES services through native
Windows and Active Directory* protocols. By allowing OES Linux servers to behave as if they
were Active Directory servers, this technology enables companies with Active Directory and
®
Novell eDirectory deployments to achieve better coexistence between the two platforms. Users
TM
can work in a pure Windows desktop environment and still take advantage of some OES back-end
services and technology, without the need for a Novell Client
Administrators can use either Novell iManager or Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to
administer users and groups. Network administrators manage file systems using the native tools of
each server, and they can also centrally administer Samba shares on OES Linux/ DSfW servers by
using iManager.
Administrators can use MMC to create inter-domain trusts between DSfW domains and Active
Directory domains.
Users can access Novell Storage Services
or NTFS files on Windows servers that use CIFS shares. eDirectory users can also access shares in
trusted Active Directory forests.
Domain Services for Windows is not a meta-directory or a synchronization connector between
eDirectory and Active Directory. It does not do desktop emulation. Domain Services for Windows
can only run on SUSE Linux Enterprise deployments of Open Enterprise Server 2 SP1 and later.
Section 1.1, "Features and Benefits," on page 13
Section 1.2, "Architectural Overview," on page 14
Section 1.3, "Basic Directory Services Concepts," on page 16
Section 1.4, "Key Differences Between the DSfW LDAP Server and the eDirectory Server," on
page 17

1.1 Features and Benefits

DSfW is designed to simplify the network infrastructure in mixed Windows/OES 2 SP2 Linux
environments, thereby reducing costs and streamlining IT operations. Minimal changes are required
to the default authentication, authorization, and replication mechanisms in existing eDirectory and
Active Directory environments. DSfW enforces the Active Directory security model in eDirectory
and applies it to all users and groups within the DSfW domain, regardless of the tool used to create
the users and groups. Both Microsoft
in either the Active Directory or eDirectory environment remain securely accessible by eDirectory
users.
Specific benefits of DSfW include the following:
Clientless login and cross-platform file access for Windows users: From a standard
Windows workstation, users can authenticate to an OES 2 SP2 Linux server running eDirectory
without the need for the Novell Client software or multiple logins. After the Windows
TM
(NSS) volumes on Linux servers by using Samba shares
TM
*
and Novell applications can be used unmodified. Resources
on the desktop.
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Overview 13