OSXServer domain integration into Active Directory

alfatec
alfatec used Ask the Experts™
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We currently run an Apple Mac domain which has an OSX Server 10.5.8 as the main directory services server. This serves approx 75 Macs all running 10.5.8. In workgroup manager we have 1200 users with Mac accounts. In our organisation we also run a Windows 2008 domain using Active directory. This also has 1200 users. So basically a single user has 2 logins, 1 for the mac domain and 1 for the Windows domain. They also have a home drive on the mac domain and a seperate home drive on the Windows domain. What I would like to do is for the users to have a single login using their Active Directory username but have access to their home drives on the Windows domain and the mac domain. Anybody got any good advice on the best way to achieve this.
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nappy_dThere are a 1000 ways to skin the technology cat.

Commented:
Can your Mac users login FROM their Macs to AD?  If so, your job is half done.

alfatec

Author

Commented:
No they cannot currently do this.
There are a 1000 ways to skin the technology cat.
Commented:
OK Here is what you need to do:
- Join your OS X server to AD using the Directory utility
- Join your OS X clients to AD using the Directory utility
- With the above done, your Mac users can authenticate from the Mac workstations using their AD credentials.

Other things you need to do for cleanup:
- remove your Mac users from OD it is not necessary for them to exist there as user objects any longer
- You can now add users from AD to your OD server groups for security and management
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alfatec

Author

Commented:
Problem I have is that the users from the OD still have alot of content in their Mac home folders and I do not want to lose that. I would want the AD users to have access to the Mac home drive as well as the AD home drive.
nappy_dThere are a 1000 ways to skin the technology cat.

Commented:
You won't lose their data but HERE is what you MUST do with a a test machine:
- Join the machine to AD
- Remove the user from the Account pref pane on the workstation and select the option; DO NOT CHANGE THE HOME FOLDER
- Delete the user account from WGM
- Login as the user from AD(it would be best of the user's shortname is the same as it was in OD)
- The AD user should start using the existing home folder on the Mac workstation

Give it a try..
alfatec

Author

Commented:
Cheers for the advice nappy d. One last thing. If I join the OSXServer to my Active directory domain, will the existing OD users still be able to login into directory services. Obvioulsy my idea is to join OSXServer to AD domain and then test some users while the existing OD users still use the OD service and login.
nappy_dThere are a 1000 ways to skin the technology cat.

Commented:
If you join you OD server to AD, your OD infrastructure will not be affected. All that will occur is that your OD will be able to read AD objects.
nappy_dThere are a 1000 ways to skin the technology cat.

Commented:
How's your test coming along?
alfatec

Author

Commented:
Hi Nappy, Not had a chance to try it as yet. We break for a week at the end of May so will be doing some testing then. Many thanks for all the advice.

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