Re: linux AD/NDS replacement (was Re: New M$ Storage OS)

["Robert G. (Doc) Savage" <dsavage@peaknet.net>]

On Wed, 2003-09-10 at 23:25, john doe wrote:
> with AD or NDS i can deploy a series of workstations and have a centralized 
> management of everything as it appears on the AD or NDS tree.  a user can 
> walk up to any machine in the network and log in just fine (assuming windows 
> workstations and either ms or novell servers).   linux needs something like 
> this that is supported the whole way through (yes i know pam on rh can auth 
> against ldap or smb, but i have never gotten the smb auth to ever work that 
> i can tell).
> 
> one central management tree/console to control and administer the entire 
> network, or at least all of the network servers including user management 
> and permissions.
> 
> how would you you guys impliment such a thing?  how would you build say a 
> brand new 250 node network (complete with proper managed switches and good 
> intel nics with gigabit to the servers and for the backbones).  installing 
> and ghosting/dd-ing isnt a complete enough answer :P

Casey,

How big is your 250-node network? Some technologies and architectures
that don't scale very well. A notable example was Netware which simply
couldn't function on a network larger than a small campus.

I'll assume that your 250 nodes are mostly PCs in a typical commercial
office layout . If you were running 250 PCs in classroom training
environments with huge software re-installation needs, you might
consider using virtual disk images on SAN boxes. If you have the luxury
of having most or all of those 250 nodes the same make/model of PC, you
can make very cost-effective use of hardware disk copying devices like
those at http://www.corpsys.com.

Comprehensive monitoring and control software for the intelligent
devices (switches, routers, etc.) on a 250-node network might be hard to
find. That's too small for HP OpenView and IBM Tivoli. You might have to
deal with them as discrete devices via their internal web or telnet
interfaces.

Maybe Novell's purchase of Ximian will result in an updated NDS-like
capability for Linux.

--Doc


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