Implementing Samba 4

Exploit the real power of Samba 4 Server by leveraging the benefits of an Active Directory Domain Controller

Overview

• Understand the different roles that Samba 4 Server can play on the network
• Implement Samba 4 as an Active Directory Domain Controller
• Step-by-step and practical approach to manage the Samba 4 Active Directory Domain Controller using Microsoft Windows standard tools

In Detail

A number of different projects are responsible for the inception and success of many startups, as well helping different companies to greatly reduce costs (for example, TCO). The Samba Project has been a great example for many years for such Open Source technology through its famous and stable version 3. Samba is now a drop in replacement for the heart of the thousands and thousands of networks that run on Microsoft Windows domain controllers. With the new Samba 4 software version, users and system administrators will be able to implement an Active Directory server, file and print services, and so deliver a broad range of network services using Open Source technology. Now with a compatible Active Directory implementation, it will definitely put its name inside every datacenter that wants a cost reduction for the Open Source solutions, without losing the security, stability, and flexibility of any resilient solution.

The book starts off with installing dependencies and building the Samba 4 software, deploying it as an Active Directory Domain Controller and enabling the reader to understand the different roles the software can play on the network.

This book looks at the Samba 4 server roles, and breaks down the mystery and confusion that surrounds each role and which role to use for some specific use cases. It will take you through some clear, practical, and complete examples that will help you to take advantage of the Samba 4 Server quickly and in a simple way. By the end of the book you will be able to provide the required (stable) network services and will have a good grounding in using Samba 4 server to leverage all the benefits just by using Open Source software.

You will learn everything you need to know to implement a Samba 4 Server to provide complete network services, as well as how to integrate with other Operating Systems (for example, GNU/Linux).

What you will learn from this book

• Identify and choose the right Samba 4 Server role
• Set up a Samba 4 Server as an Active Directory Domain Controller
• Utilize the Python Scripting Interface
• Understand the migration steps from Samba 3 to Samba 4
• Integrate GNU/Linux Operating System authentication into the AD
• Implement File and Print Servers using Samba 4
• Understand the tasks and attention points when replacing a Microsoft Windows AD

Approach

This book is an implementation tutorial covering step-by-step procedures, examples, and sample code, and has a practical approach to set up a Samba 4 Server as an Active Directory Domain Controller and also set up different Samba 4 server roles.

Who this book is written for

This book is ideal for system administrators who are new to the Samba 4 software, and who are looking to get a good grounding in how to use Samba 4 to implement Active Directory Services. It’s assumed that you will have some experience with general system administration, Active Directory, and GNU/Linux systems. Readers are expected to have some test machines (virtual machines), which will be used to execute the examples within this book.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Installing the Samba 4 Server
Chapter 2 Provisioning Samba 4 as AD Domain Controller
Chapter 3: Managing the Samba Active Directory Server
Chapter 4: Replacing a Microsoft Windows Active Directory Server
Chapter 5: Upgrading from Samba Server Version 3
Chapter 6: Printing and File Services
Chapter 7: Extending the Active Directory Schema Using Samba 4
Chapter 8: Implementing a Highly Available Distributed File Server
Chapter 9: The Samba 4 Python Scripting Interface