Help with non OSX Server DS implementation…

Ok, I’ve searched everywhere on this planet for good information on this topic.

Background information:
We are a primarily windows enviroment running AD, etc…
We also use LDAP for other services and keep AD synched with it.
We currently run OSX 10.2.x on our macs, which authenticate through cusom mappings to our LDAP.

In trying to update to 10.3, things break… primarily, with the ability to determine the location of the user’s mapped home folder. There is very little documentation on these specific mappings, requirements, attribute definitions, etc.

We’ve stumped our Apple rep, his supervisor, a number of online Apple techies, blasted through all Apple documentation, all to find out that there’s very little information on the topic.

Short of running OSX server (which I can’t do… I’m just a lowly student worker with no purchasing power…) and hand checking every single default mapping and what kind of data Directory Services is looking for, I’m unable to figure out what base mappings DS is looking for.

My Question to y’alls… can anyone help with this information? Anything would be GREATLY appreciated. Feel free to ask questions, make fun of me, etc.