Small Office Networking
focused on the basics of simple yet effective
network solutions. Network administrators who take pride in their work
(that's most of us, right?) take care to deliver what our users want,
but not too much more. If we make things too complex, we confound our users
and increase costs of network ownership. A professional network manager
avoids the temptation to put too much pizazz into the way that the network
operates. Some creativity is helpful, but keep it under control &smbmdash;
good advice that the following two scenarios illustrate.
Netware
In one case the network administrator of a mid-sized company spent three
months building a new network to replace an old Netware server. What he
delivered had all the bells and whistles he could muster. There were a
few teething problems during the changeover, nothing serious but a little
disruptive all the same. Users were exposed to many changes at once. The
network administrator was asked to resign two months after implementing
the new system because so many staff complained they had lost time and
were not happy with the new network. Everything was automated, and he
delivered more features than any advanced user could think of. He was
just too smart for his own good.
In the case of the other company, a new network manager was appointed
to oversee the replacement of a LanTastic network with an MS Windows
NT 4.0 network. He had the replacement installed and operational within
two weeks. Before installation and changeover, he called a meeting to
explain to all users what was going to happen, how it would affect them,
and that he would be available 24 hours a day to help them transition.
One week after conversion, he held another meeting asking for cooperation
in the introduction of a few new features that would help to make life
easier. Network users were thrilled with the help he provided. The network
he implemented was nowhere near as complex as in the first example, had fewer
features, and yet he had happy users. Months later he was still adding
new innovations. He always asked the users if a
particular feature was what they wanted. He asked his boss for a raise
and got it. He often told me, Always keep a few new tricks up your
sleeves for when you need them. Was he smart? You decide. Let's
get on with our next exercise.
Introduction
Abmas Accounting has grown. Mr. Meany likes you and says he knew you
were the right person for the job. That's why he asked you to install the
new server. The past few months have been hard work. You advised Mr. Meany
that it is time for a change. Abmas now has 52 users, having acquired an
investment consulting business recently. The new users were added to the
network without any problems.
Some of the Windows clients are nearly past their use-by date.
You found damaged and unusable software on some of the workstations
that came with the acquired business and found some machines
in need of both hardware and software maintenance.
Assignment TasksWindows XP
Mr. Meany is retiring in 12 months. Before he goes, he wants you to help ensure
that the business is running efficiently. Many of the new staff want notebook
computers. They visit customer business premises and need to use local network
facilities; these users are technically competent. The company uses a
business application that requires Windows XP Professional. In short, a complete
client upgrade is about to happen. Mr. Meany told you that he is working
on another business acquisition and that by the time he retires there will be
80 to 100 users.
Mr. Meany is not concerned about security. He wants to make it easier for
staff to do their work. He has hired you to help him appoint a full-time
network manager before he retires. Above all, he says he is investing in
the ability to grow. He is determined to live his lifelong dream and
hand the business over to a bright and capable executive who can make
things happen. This means your network design must cope well with
growth.
In a few months, Abmas will require an Internet connection for email and so
that staff can easily obtain software updates. Mr. Meany is warming up to
the installation of antivirus software but is not yet ready to approve
this expense. He told you to spend the money a virus scanner costs
on better quality notebook computers for mobile users.
One of Mr. Meany's golfing partners convinced him to buy new laser
printers, one black only, the other a color laser printer. Staff support
the need for a color printer so they can present more attractive proposals
and reports.
Mr. Meany also asked if it would be possible for one of the staff to manage
user accounts from the Windows desktop. That person will be responsible for
basic operations.
Dissection and Discussion
What are the key requirements in this business example? A quick review indicates
a need for
Scalability, from 52 to over 100 users in 12 months
Mobile computing capability
mobile computing
Improved reliability and usability
Easier administration
In this instance the installed Linux system is assumed to be a Red Hat Linux Fedora Core2 server
(as in ).
Technical IssuessmbpasswdDHCPDNSWINSDomain
It is time to implement a domain security environment. You will use the
smbpasswd (default) backend. You should implement a DHCP server. There is no need to
run DNS at this time, but the system will use WINS. The domain name will be
BILLMORE. This time, the name of the server will be SLEETH.
All printers will be configured as DHCP clients. The DHCP server will assign
the printer a fixed IP address by way of its Ethernet interface (MAC) address.
See .
The &smb.conf; file you are creating in this exercise can be used with equal effectiveness
with Samba-2.2.x series releases. This is deliberate so that in the next chapter it is
possible to start with the installation that you have created here, migrate it
to a Samba-3 configuration, and then secure the system further. Configurations following
this one utilize features that may not be supported in Samba-2.2.x releases.
However, you should note that the examples in each chapter start with the assumption
that a fresh new installation is being effected.
Later on, when the Internet connection is implemented, you will add DNS as well as
other enhancements. It is important that you plan accordingly.
Ethernet switch
You have split the network into two separate areas. Each has its own Ethernet switch.
There are 20 users on the accounting network and 32 users on the financial services
network. The server has two network interfaces, one serving each network. The
network printers will be located in a central area. You plan to install the new
printers and keep the old printer in use also.
You will provide separate file storage areas for each business entity. The old system
will go away, accounting files will be handled under a single directory, and files will
be stored under customer name, not under a personal work area. Staff will be made
responsible for file location, so the old share point must be maintained.
Given that DNS will not be used, you will configure WINS name resolution for UNIX
hostname name resolution.
DomaingroupsUNIXgroups
It is necessary to map Windows Domain Groups to UNIX groups. It is
advisable to also map Windows Local Groups to UNIX groups. Additionally, the two
key staff groups in the firm are accounting staff and financial services staff.
For these, it is necessary to create UNIX groups as well as Windows Domain Groups.
In the sample &smb.conf; file, you have configured Samba to call the UNIX
groupadd to add group entries. This utility does not permit
the addition of group names that contain uppercase characters or spaces. This
is considered a bug. The groupadd is part of the
shadow-utils open source software package. A later release
of this package may have been patched to resolve this bug. If your operating
platform has this bug, it means that attempts to add a Windows Domain Group that
has either a space or uppercase characters in it will fail. See
TOSHARG2, Chapter 11, Section 11.3.1, Example 11.1, for
more information.
CUPS
Vendor-supplied printer drivers will be installed on each client. The CUPS print
spooler on the UNIX host will be operated in raw mode.
Political Issues
Mr. Meany is an old-school manager. He sets the rules and wants to see compliance.
He is willing to spend money on things he believes are of value. You need more
time to convince him of real priorities.
Go ahead, buy better notebooks. Wouldn't it be neat if they happened to be
supplied with antivirus software? Above all, demonstrate good purchase value and remember
to make your users happy.
Implementationmigration
In this example, the assumption is made that this server is being configured from a clean start.
The alternate approach could be to demonstrate the migration of the system that is documented
in to meet the new requirements. The decision to treat this case, as with
future examples, as a new installation is based on the premise that you can determine
the migration steps from the information provided in .
Additionally, a fresh installation makes the example easier to follow.
group membership
Each user will be given a home directory on the UNIX system, which will be available as a private
share. Two additional shares will be created, one for the accounting department and the other for
the financial services department. Network users will be given access to these shares by way
of group membership.
UNIXgroups
UNIX group membership is the primary mechanism by which Windows Domain users will be granted
rights and privileges within the Windows environment.
sticky bit
The user alanm will be made the owner of all files. This will be preserved
by setting the sticky bit (set UID/GID) on the top-level directories.
Server Installation Steps
Using UNIX/Linux system tools, name the server sleeth.
/etc/hosts
Place an entry for the machine sleeth in the /etc/hosts.
The printers are network attached, so there should be entries for the
network printers also. An example /etc/hosts file is shown here:
192.168.1.1 sleeth sleeth1
192.168.2.1 sleeth2
192.168.1.10 hplj6
192.168.1.11 hplj4
192.168.2.10 qms
Install the Samba-3 binary RPM from the Samba-Team FTP site.
Install the ISC DHCP server using the UNIX/Linux system tools available to you.
/etc/rc.d/rc.localIP forwardingrouter/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
Because Samba will be operating over two network interfaces and clients on each side
may want to be able to reach clients on the other side, it is imperative that IP forwarding
is enabled. Use the system tool of your choice to enable IP forwarding. In the
absence of such a tool on the Linux system, add to the /etc/rc.d/rc.local
file an entry as follows:
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
This causes the Linux kernel to forward IP packets so that it acts as a router.
Install the &smb.conf; file as shown in and
. Combine these two examples to form a single
/etc/samba/smb.conf file.
smbpasswd
Add the user root to the Samba password backend:
&rootprompt; smbpasswd -a root
New SMB password: XXXXXXX
Retype new SMB password: XXXXXXX
&rootprompt;
administrator
This is the Windows Domain Administrator password. Never delete this account from
the password backend after Windows Domain Groups have been initialized. If you delete
this account, your system is crippled. You cannot restore this account,
and your Samba server can no longer be administered.
username map
Create the username map file to permit the root account to be called
Administrator from the Windows network environment. To do this, create
the file /etc/samba/smbusers with the following contents:
####
# User mapping file
####
# File Format
# -----------
# Unix_ID = Windows_ID
#
# Examples:
# root = Administrator
# janes = "Jane Smith"
# jimbo = Jim Bones
#
# Note: If the name contains a space it must be double quoted.
# In the example above the name 'jimbo' will be mapped to Windows
# user names 'Jim' and 'Bones' because the space was not quoted.
#######################################################################
root = Administrator
####
# End of File
####
initGrps.sh
Create and map Windows Domain Groups to UNIX groups. A sample script is provided in
. Create a file containing this script. We called ours
/etc/samba/initGrps.sh. Set this file so it can be executed,
and then execute the script. Sample output should be as follows:
Script to Map Windows NT Groups to UNIX GroupsinitGrps.sh
#!/bin/bash
#
# initGrps.sh
#
# Create UNIX groups
groupadd acctsdep
groupadd finsrvcs
# Map Windows Domain Groups to UNIX groups
net groupmap modify ntgroup="Domain Admins" unixgroup=root
net groupmap modify ntgroup="Domain Users" unixgroup=users
net groupmap modify ntgroup="Domain Guests" unixgroup=nobody
# Add Functional Domain Groups
net groupmap add ntgroup="Accounts Dept" unixgroup=acctsdep type=d
net groupmap add ntgroup="Financial Services" unixgroup=finsrvcs type=d
&rootprompt; chmod 755 initGrps.sh
&rootprompt; cd /etc/samba
&rootprompt; ./initGrps.sh
Updated mapping entry for Domain Admins
Updated mapping entry for Domain Users
Updated mapping entry for Domain Guests
No rid or sid specified, choosing algorithmic mapping
Successfully added group Accounts Dept to the mapping db
No rid or sid specified, choosing algorithmic mapping
Successfully added group Domain Guests to the mapping db
&rootprompt; cd /etc/samba
&rootprompt; net groupmap list | sort
Account Operators (S-1-5-32-548) -> -1
Accounts Dept (S-1-5-21-194350-25496802-3394589-2003) -> acctsdep
Administrators (S-1-5-32-544) -> -1
Backup Operators (S-1-5-32-551) -> -1
Domain Admins (S-1-5-21-194350-25496802-3394589-512) -> root
Domain Guests (S-1-5-21-194350-25496802-3394589-514) -> nobody
Domain Users (S-1-5-21-194350-25496802-3394589-513) -> users
Financial Services (S-1-5-21-194350-25496802-3394589-2005) -> finsrvcs
Guests (S-1-5-32-546) -> -1
Power Users (S-1-5-32-547) -> -1
Print Operators (S-1-5-32-550) -> -1
Replicators (S-1-5-32-552) -> -1
System Operators (S-1-5-32-549) -> -1
Users (S-1-5-32-545) -> -1
/etc/passwdpasswordbackendsmbpasswd
For each user who needs to be given a Windows Domain account, make an entry in the
/etc/passwd file as well as in the Samba password backend.
Use the system tool of your choice to create the UNIX system accounts, and use the Samba
smbpasswd program to create the Domain user accounts.
useraddadduserusermanagement
There are a number of tools for user management under UNIX, such as
useradd and adduser, as well as a plethora of custom
tools. With the tool of your choice, create a home directory for each user.
Using the preferred tool for your UNIX system, add each user to the UNIX groups created
previously, as necessary. File system access control will be based on UNIX group membership.
Create the directory mount point for the disk subsystem that is mounted to provide
data storage for company files. In this case the mount point is indicated in the &smb.conf;
file is /data. Format the file system as required, mount the formatted
file system partition using mount,
and make the appropriate changes in /etc/fstab.
Create the top-level file storage directories are follows:
&rootprompt; mkdir -p /data/{accounts,finsvcs}
&rootprompt; chown -R root:root /data
&rootprompt; chown -R alanm:accounts /data/accounts
&rootprompt; chown -R alanm:finsvcs /data/finsvcs
&rootprompt; chmod -R ug+rwx,o+rx-w /data
Each department is responsible for creating its own directory structure within its
share. The directory root of the accounts share is /data/accounts.
The directory root of the finsvcs share is /data/finsvcs.
Configure the printers with the IP addresses as shown in .
Follow the instructions in the manufacturers' manuals to permit printing to port 9100.
This allows the CUPS spooler to print using raw mode protocols.
CUPSraw printingCUPSqueuelpadmin
Configure the CUPS Print Queues as follows:
&rootprompt; lpadmin -p hplj4 -v socket://192.168.1.11:9100 -E
&rootprompt; lpadmin -p hplj6 -v socket://192.168.1.10:9100 -E
&rootprompt; lpadmin -p qms -v socket://192.168.2.10:9100 -E
print filter
This creates the necessary print queues with no assigned print filter.
mime type/etc/mime.convsapplication/octet-stream
Edit the file /etc/cups/mime.convs to uncomment the line:
application/octet-stream application/vnd.cups-raw 0 -
/etc/mime.types
Edit the file /etc/cups/mime.types to uncomment the line:
application/octet-stream
DHCP Server
Using your favorite system editor, create an /etc/dhcpd.conf with the
contents as shown in .
Abmas Accounting DHCP Server Configuration File &smbmdash; /etc/dhcpd.conf/etc/dhcpd.conf
default-lease-time 86400;
max-lease-time 172800;
default-lease-time 86400;
option ntp-servers 192.168.1.1;
option domain-name "abmas.biz";
option domain-name-servers 192.168.1.1, 192.168.2.1;
option netbios-name-servers 192.168.1.1, 192.168.2.1;
option netbios-node-type 8;
### NOTE ###
# netbios-node-type=8 means set clients to Hybrid Mode
# so they will use Unicast communication with the WINS
# server and thus reduce the level of UDP broadcast
# traffic by up to 90%.
############
subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
range dynamic-bootp 192.168.1.128 192.168.1.254;
option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
option routers 192.168.1.1;
allow unknown-clients;
host hplj4 {
hardware ethernet 08:00:46:7a:35:e4;
fixed-address 192.168.1.10;
}
host hplj6 {
hardware ethernet 00:03:47:cb:81:e0;
fixed-address 192.168.1.11;
}
}
subnet 192.168.2.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
range dynamic-bootp 192.168.2.128 192.168.2.254;
option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
option routers 192.168.2.1;
allow unknown-clients;
host qms {
hardware ethernet 01:04:31:db:e1:c0;
fixed-address 192.168.1.10;
}
}
subnet 127.0.0.0 netmask 255.0.0.0 {
}
Use the standard system tool to start Samba and CUPS and configure them to start
automatically at every system reboot. For example,
chkconfigstarting dhcpdstarting sambastarting CUPSchkconfig
&rootprompt; chkconfig dhcp on
&rootprompt; chkconfig smb on
&rootprompt; chkconfig cups on
&rootprompt; /etc/rc.d/init.d/dhcp restart
&rootprompt; /etc/rc.d/init.d/smb restart
&rootprompt; /etc/rc.d/init.d/cups restart
name service switchNSSsame service switchDNSDNS serverWINS/etc/nsswitch.conf
Configure the name service switch (NSS) to handle WINS-based name resolution.
Since this system does not use a DNS server, it is safe to remove this option from
the NSS configuration. Edit the /etc/nsswitch.conf file so that
the hosts: entry looks like this:
hosts: files wins
Accounting Office Network &smb.conf; File &smbmdash; [globals] SectionGlobal parametersBILLMORE*New*Password* %n\n*Re-enter*new*password* %n\n *Password*changed*/etc/samba/smbusers0wins bcast hostsCUPSNo/usr/sbin/useradd -m '%u'/usr/sbin/userdel -r '%u'/usr/sbin/groupadd '%g'/usr/sbin/groupdel '%g'/usr/sbin/usermod -G '%g' '%u'/usr/sbin/useradd -s /bin/false -d /var/lib/nobody '%u'scripts\login.batX:YesYesYesCUPSAccounting Office Network &smb.conf; File &smbmdash; Services and Shares SectionHome Directories%SNoNoSMB Print Spool/var/spool/sambaYesYesYesNoNetwork Logon Service/data/%U%SNoAccounting Files/data/accounts%GNoFinancial Service Files/data/finsvcs%GNoValidation
Does everything function as it ought? That is the key question at this point.
Here are some simple steps to validate your Samba server configuration.
Validation Stepstestparm
If your &smb.conf; file has bogus options or parameters, this may cause Samba
to refuse to start. The first step should always be to validate the contents
of this file by running:
&rootprompt; testparm -s
Load smb config files from smb.conf
Processing section "[homes]"
Processing section "[printers]"
Processing section "[netlogon]"
Processing section "[accounts]"
Processing section "[service]"
Loaded services file OK.
# Global parameters
[global]
workgroup = BILLMORE
passwd chat = *New*Password* \
%n\n *Re-enter*new*password* %n\n *Password*changed*
username map = /etc/samba/smbusers
syslog = 0
name resolve order = wins bcast hosts
printcap name = CUPS
show add printer wizard = No
add user script = /usr/sbin/useradd -m '%u'
delete user script = /usr/sbin/userdel -r '%u'
add group script = /usr/sbin/groupadd '%g'
delete group script = /usr/sbin/groupdel '%g'
add user to group script = /usr/sbin/usermod -G '%g' '%u'
add machine script = /usr/sbin/useradd
-s /bin/false -d /var/lib/nobody '%u'
logon script = scripts\logon.bat
logon path =
logon drive = X:
domain logons = Yes
preferred master = Yes
wins support = Yes
...
### Remainder cut to save space ###
The inclusion of an invalid parameter (say one called dogbert) would generate an
error as follows:
Unknown parameter encountered: "dogbert"
Ignoring unknown parameter "dogbert"
Clear away all errors before proceeding, and start or restart samba as necessary.
check samba daemonsnmbdsmbdwinbindd
Check that the Samba server is running:
&rootprompt; ps ax | grep mbd
14244 ? S 0:00 /usr/sbin/nmbd -D
14245 ? S 0:00 /usr/sbin/nmbd -D
14290 ? S 0:00 /usr/sbin/smbd -D
$rootprompt; ps ax | grep winbind
14293 ? S 0:00 /usr/sbin/winbindd -B
14295 ? S 0:00 /usr/sbin/winbindd -B
The winbindd daemon is running in split mode (normal), so there are also
two instances of it. For more information regarding winbindd, see
TOSHARG2, Chapter 23, Section 23.3. The single instance of
smbd is normal.
anonymous connection
Check that an anonymous connection can be made to the Samba server:
&rootprompt; smbclient -L localhost -U%
Sharename Type Comment
--------- ---- -------
netlogon Disk Network Logon Service
accounts Disk Accounting Files
finsvcs Disk Financial Service Files
IPC$ IPC IPC Service (Samba3)
ADMIN$ IPC IPC Service (Samba3)
hplj4 Printer Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 4
hplj6 Printer Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 6
qms Printer QMS Magicolor Laser Printer XXXX
Server Comment
--------- -------
SLEETH Samba 3.0.20
Workgroup Master
--------- -------
BILLMORE SLEETH
This demonstrates that an anonymous listing of shares can be obtained. This is the equivalent
of browsing the server from a Windows client to obtain a list of shares on the server.
The -U% argument means to send a NULL username and
a NULL password.
dhcp client validationprinter validation/etc/dhcpd.conf
Verify that the printers have the IP addresses assigned in the DHCP server configuration file.
The easiest way to do this is to ping the printer name. Immediately after the ping response
has been received, execute arp -a to find the MAC address of the printer
that has responded. Now you can compare the IP address and the MAC address of the printer
with the configuration information in the /etc/dhcpd.conf file. They
should, of course, match. For example,
&rootprompt; ping hplj4
PING hplj4 (192.168.1.11) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from hplj4 (192.168.1.11): icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.113 ms
&rootprompt; arp -a
hplj4 (192.168.1.11) at 08:00:46:7A:35:E4 [ether] on eth0
The MAC address 08:00:46:7A:35:E4 matches that specified for the
IP address from which the printer has responded and the entry for it in the
/etc/dhcpd.conf file.
authenticated connection
Make an authenticated connection to the server using the smbclient tool:
&rootprompt; smbclient //sleeth/accounts -U alanm
Password: XXXXXXX
smb: \> dir
. D 0 Sun Nov 9 01:28:34 2003
.. D 0 Sat Aug 16 17:24:26 2003
.mc DH 0 Sat Nov 8 21:57:38 2003
.qt DH 0 Fri Sep 5 00:48:25 2003
SMB D 0 Sun Oct 19 23:04:30 2003
Documents D 0 Sat Nov 1 00:31:51 2003
xpsp1a_en_x86.exe 131170400 Sun Nov 2 01:25:44 2003
65387 blocks of size 65536. 28590 blocks available
smb: \> q
Windows XP Professional Client Configuration
Configure clients to the network settings shown in .
All clients use DHCP for TCP/IP protocol stack configuration.
WINSDHCP
DHCP configures all Windows clients to use the WINS Server address 192.168.1.1.
Join the Windows Domain called BILLMORE. Use the Domain Administrator
username root and the SMB password you assigned to this account.
A detailed step-by-step procedure for joining a Windows 200x/XP Professional client to
a Windows Domain is given in , .
Reboot the machine as prompted and then log on using a Domain User account.
Verify on each client that the machine called SLEETH
is visible in My Network Places, that it is
possible to connect to it and see the shares accounts
and finsvcs,
and that it is possible to open that share to reveal its contents.
Instruct all users to log onto the workstation using their assigned username and password.
Install a printer on each using the following steps:
Click StartSettingsPrintersAdd PrinterNext. Do not click Network printer.
Ensure that Local printer is selected.
Click Next. In the
Manufacturer: panel, select HP.
In the Printers: panel, select the printer called
HP LaserJet 4. Click Next.
In the Available ports: panel, select
FILE:. Accept the default printer name by clicking
Next. When asked, Would you like to print a
test page?, click No. Click
Finish.
You may be prompted for the name of a file to print to. If so, close the
dialog panel. Right-click HP LaserJet 4PropertiesDetails (Tab)Add Port.
In the Network panel, enter the name of
the print queue on the Samba server as follows: \\SERVER\hplj4.
Click OKOK to complete the installation.
Repeat the printer installation steps above for the HP LaserJet 6 printer
as well as for the QMS Magicolor XXXX laser printer.
Notebook Computers: A Special Case
As a network administrator, you already know how to create local machine accounts for Windows 200x/XP
Professional systems. This is the preferred solution to provide continuity of work for notebook users
so that absence from the office network environment does not become a barrier to productivity.
By creating a local machine account that has the same username and password as you create for that
user in the Windows Domain environment, the user can log onto the machine locally and still
transparently access network resources as if logged onto the domain itself. There are some trade-offs
that mean that as the network is more tightly secured, it becomes necessary to modify Windows client
configuration somewhat.
Key Points Learned
In this network design and implementation exercise, you created a Windows NT4-style Domain
Controller using Samba-3.0.20. Following these guidelines, you experienced
and implemented several important aspects of Windows networking. In the next chapter,
you build on the experience. These are the highlights from this chapter:
DHCP
You implemented a DHCP server, and Microsoft Windows clients were able to obtain all necessary
network configuration settings from this server.
Domain Controller
You created a Windows Domain Controller. You were able to use the network logon service
and successfully joined Windows 200x/XP Professional clients to the Domain.
CUPS
You created raw print queues in the CUPS printing system. You maintained a simple
printing system so that all users can share centrally managed printers. You installed
native printer drivers on the Windows clients.
You experienced the benefits of centrally managed user accounts on the server.
You offered Mobile notebook users a solution that allows them to continue to work
while away from the office and not connected to the corporate network.
Questions and Answers
Your new Domain Controller is ready to serve you. What does it mean? Here are some questions and answers that
may help.
What is the key benefit of using DHCP to configure Windows client TCP/IP stacks?
First and foremost, portability. It means that notebook users can move between
the Abmas office and client offices (so long as they, too, use DHCP) without having to manually
reconfigure their machines. It also means that when they work from their home environments
either using DHCP assigned addressing or when using dial-up networking, settings such as
default routes and DNS server addresses that apply only to the Abmas office environment do
not interfere with remote operations. This is an extremely important feature of DHCP.
Are there any DHCP server configuration parameters in the /etc/dhcpd.conf
that should be noted in particular?
Yes. The configuration you created automatically provides each client with the IP address
of your WINS server. It also configures the client to preferentially register NetBIOS names
with the WINS server, and then instructs the client to first query the WINS server when a
NetBIOS machine name needs to be resolved to an IP Address. This configuration
results in far lower UDP broadcast traffic than would be the case if WINS was not used.
Is it possible to create a Windows Domain account that is specifically called Administrator?
You can surely create a Windows Domain account called Administrator. It is also
possible to map that account so that it has the effective UNIX UID of 0. This way it isn't
necessary to use the username map facility to map this account to the UNIX
account called root.
Why is it necessary to give the Windows Domain Administrator a UNIX UID of 0?
The Windows Domain Administrator account is the most privileged account that
exists on the Windows platform. This user can change any setting, add, delete, or modify user
accounts, and completely reconfigure the system. The equivalent to this account in the UNIX
environment is the root account. If you want to permit the Windows Domain
Administrator to manage accounts as well as permissions, privileges, and security
settings within the Domain and on the Samba server, equivalent rights must be assigned. This is
achieved with the root UID equal to 0.
One of my junior staff needs the ability to add machines to the Domain, but I do not want to give him
root access. How can we do this?
Users who are members of the Domain Admins group can add machines to the
Domain. This group is mapped to the UNIX group account called root
(or the equivalent wheel on some UNIX systems) that has a GID of 0.
This must be the primary GID of the account of the user who is a member of the Windows
Domain Admins account.
Why must I map Windows Domain Groups to UNIX groups?
Samba-3 does not permit a Domain Group to become visible to Domain network clients unless the account
has a UNIX group account equivalent. The Domain groups that should be given UNIX equivalents are
Domain Guests, Domain Users, and Domain Admins.
I deleted my root account and now I cannot add it back! What can I do?
This is a nasty problem. Fortunately, there is a solution.
Back up your existing configuration files in case you need to restore them.
Rename the group_mapping.tdb file.
Use the smbpasswd to add the root account.
Restore the group_mapping.tdb file.
When I run net groupmap list, it reports a group called Administrators
as well as Domain Admins. What is the difference between them?
The group called Administrators is representative of the same account that would be
present as the Local Group account on a Domain Member server or workstation. Samba uses only Domain
Groups at this time. A Workstation or Server Local Group has no meaning in a Samba context. This
may change at some later date. These accounts are provided only so that security objects are correctly shown.
What is the effect of changing the name of a Samba server or of changing the Domain name?
If you elect to change the name of the Samba server, on restarting smbd,
Windows security identifiers are changed. In the case of a standalone server or a Domain Member server,
the machine SID is changed. This may break Domain membership. In the case of a change of the Domain name
(Workgroup name), the Domain SID is changed. This affects all Domain memberships.
If it becomes necessary to change either the server name or the Domain name, be sure to back up the respective
SID before the change is made. You can back up the SID using the net getlocalsid (Samba-3)
or the smbpasswd (Samba-2.2.x). To change the SID, you use the same tool. Be sure
to check the man page for this command for detailed instructions regarding the steps involved.
How can I manage user accounts from my Windows XP Professional workstation?
Samba-3 implements a Windows NT4-style security domain architecture. This type of Domain cannot
be managed using tools present on a Windows XP Professional installation. You may download from the
Microsoft Web site the SRVTOOLS.EXE package. Extract it into the directory from which you wish to use
it. This package extracts the tools: User Manager for Domains, Server Manager, and Event
Viewer. You may use the User Manager for Domains to manage your Samba-3
Domain user and group accounts. Of course, you do need to be logged on as the Administrator
for the Samba-3 Domain. It may help to log on as the root account.