Implementing AD – good idea?

[Nanao]

Hello, just wanted to get some ideas and advice from you all! Wasn’t sure which forum to stick this under, so apologies for this.

We’re currently working in a Workgroup environment with a Mac and PC server acting as file servers. Both Mac and Windows clients share files. I am looking at ways of implementing Directory Services as we have around 50 clients.

Some of our Macs run both Mac OS X and Windows, and therefore some users use both rather than just one OS. Therefore would it be best to just implement one Directory Service – so that each user has one account that they can use to log into either client?

I am looking at implementing AD, reasons for this is that although currently we have roughly an equal mix of both clients – in the future we may be moving more towards the PC side. Also I have a bit of experience with AD – but know nothing about OD and supporting Mac clients. 😥

I understand that there are problems with long filenames also which aren’t supported by PCs – are there any other issues that I need to be aware of?

Are there any advantages for implementing OD instead? Just that it seems that Mac OS X has built-in support for AD and Kerberos, but not sure about how Windows clients support OD.

Many thanks in advance! 😀

Nanao

[vilms5000]

You could integrate OD and AD, as many people contributing to this forum already have. Or you could use AD, alone, and install software on your Mac clients that gives them similar file/print access to their Windows peers, but retains a good “Mac” experience (and I am talking about commercial software, not the built-in Apple offering!).

There are pros and cons to each path.

You can find commercial options for AD integration of your Mac clients here…

http://www.thursby.com/products/admitmac-eval.html
http://www.quest.com/
http://www.centrify.com/

Pw

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