14.3.3. Domain Controller

A domain controller in Windows NT is functionally similar to a Network Information Service (NIS) server in a Linux environment. Domain controllers and NIS servers both host user/group information databases as well as related services. Domain controllers are mainly used for security, including the authentication of users accessing domain resources. The service that maintains the user/group database integrity is called the Security Account Manager (SAM). The SAM database is stored differently between Windows and Linux Samba-based systems, therefore SAM replication cannot be achieved and platforms cannot be mixed in a PDC/BDC environment.
In a Samba environment, there can be only one PDC and zero or more BDCs.

Important

Samba cannot exist in a mixed Samba/Windows domain controller environment (Samba cannot be a BDC of a Windows PDC or vice versa). Alternatively, Samba PDCs and BDCs can coexist.

14.3.3.1. Primary Domain Controller (PDC) using tdbsam

The simplest and most common implementation of a Samba PDC uses the tdbsam password database backend. Planned to replace the aging smbpasswd backend, tdbsam has numerous improvements that are explained in more detail in Section 14.5, “ Samba Account Information Databases ”. The passdb backend directive controls which backend is to be used for the PDC.
[global]
workgroup = DOCS
netbios name = DOCS_SRV 
passdb backend = tdbsam
security = user
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 /dev/null \
 -g machines %u
# The following specifies the default logon script 
# Per user logon scripts can be specified in the user
# account using pdbedit
logon script = logon.bat
# This sets the default profile path.
# Set per user paths with pdbedit
logon path = \\%L\Profiles\%U
logon drive = H:
logon home = \\%L\%U
domain logons = Yes
os level = 35
preferred master = Yes
domain master = Yes
idmap uid = 15000-20000
idmap gid = 15000-20000

[homes]
comment = Home Directories
valid users = %S
read only = No
browseable = No
writable = Yes

[public]
comment = Data
path = /export
force user = docsbot
force group = users
guest ok = Yes

[netlogon]
comment = Network Logon Service
path = /var/lib/samba/netlogon/scripts
admin users = ed, john, sam
guest ok = No
browseable = No
writable = No

# For profiles to work, create a user directory under the
# path shown. mkdir -p /var/lib/samba/profiles/john
[Profiles]
comment = Roaming Profile Share
path = /var/lib/samba/profiles
read only = No
browseable = No
guest ok = Yes
profile acls = Yes

# Other resource shares
...
...

Note

If you need more than one domain controller or have more than 250 users, do not use a tdbsam authentication backend. LDAP is recommended in these cases.