I don't know anything that is comparable - NOTHING has Group Policy like features. What features do you need? If you JUST need centralized password management, there's Samba and other LDAP directories. Keep in mind, Windows has 90% of the market (or so) - I suspect if there other services comparable, Microsoft wouldn't be QUITE so dominant.

Darius Ghassem

Right I would have to agree with leew there really isn't an exact comparable system to AD but there are some that are close like Novel eDirectory which has some portions of AD. Actually if I remember right AD's concept was built from Novell.

AD from my experience and many others is the best directory service out there.

FarWest

very tricky question?
DC is either Novell or Microsoft,
Novell is not OS, so what other OS you want AD to reside on,
if you mean AD as a collection of networking and infrastructure services including Directory Service, then you can have other OS to provide print services, file sharing, dns, dhcp
but still you are not having an AD

SOLUTION

Prashant Girennavar

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Lee W, MVP

Prashant - which of those support GROUP POLICY, one of the major features of Windows that allows you to properly lock down systems?

Tymetwister

ASKER

^ to what leew said, I'd like to know this as well. Great discussion here. I increased points just so we can open this topic up a little bit.

Prashant Girennavar

Leew - I have not worked on any of the other directory services other than AD.

However you can refer below link which explains the comparison between Active directory and eDirectory.

http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/sanderberkouwer/archive/2006/10/08/Active-Directory-and-eDirectory.aspx

Regards,

_Prashant_