Identity Management for UNIX

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Identity Management for UNIX (IDMU) helps integrate computers running Windows into your existing UNIX enterprise. Active Directory® Domain Services network administrators can use Server for NIS to manage Network Information Service (NIS) domains, and Password Synchronization automatically synchronizes passwords between Windows and UNIX operating systems.

With minor differences, Identity Management for UNIX is compliant with Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard Request for Comments (RFC) 2307, meaning that your network's password and NIS attributes can be resolved by the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).

Hierarchy of Managed Entities

Managed Entities

Name Description

Server for NIS

Server for NIS integrates Windows and Network Information Service (NIS) networks by giving a Windows–based Active Directory® Domain Services domain controller the ability to act as a master NIS server for one or more NIS domains.

Password Synchronization

Password Synchronization helps integrate Windows and UNIX networks by simplifying the process of maintaining secure passwords in both environments. Users are freed of the difficulty of maintaining separate passwords for their Windows and UNIX accounts or having to remember to change the password wherever it is used. With Password Synchronization, whenever a user's password is changed on a Windows-based computer or domain, the password can also be automatically changed on every UNIX host for which the user has an account. Password Synchronization can also be configured to change the user's Windows password when the user's UNIX-based password is changed.