Re: Windows - Solaris Integration

From: Juhan Leemet (juhan_at_logicognosis.com)
Date: 08/06/04 

Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2004 18:05:59 -0200

On Fri, 06 Aug 2004 08:45:01 +0200, UNIX admin wrote:
>> What is the best way to run these two systems together? I would like
>> for my students to be able to log in on either system and access one
>> common shared directory for their files.
>
> Good luck!
>
> The optimal solution (and I'm serious, this isn't zealotry) is to ditch
> Windows entirely and have a pure UNIX network (you can even mix and
> match OSes, so long as they're some form of UNIX or another.

I tend to agree, but that may be too restrictive in his environment? Some
of what people should learn about is "heterogeneous networking", so they
can appreciate the problems and make wise(r) choices in future.

> Other than that, there's a way to make a UNIX server look like a Windows
> server for printing and file sharing by using Samba... so you better
> start reading up on it and plan on being an expert at it, unless you
> follow my recommendation above.

Samba is good, and serves SMB stuff to Windoze rather well. Tends to work
"out of the box" except maybe for (Windoze) user authentication issues.

> On the UNIX machines you'd use a combination of NIS, NFS, AutoMounter,
> and if you want to be really fancy/high perf, CacheFS. These are all
> far from trivial to implement, and entire books have been written on
> each one of them. Fortunately, you can learn about them and much more
> at http://docs.sun.com/

I don't see why we have to scare the poor fellow off? They are not that
hard to implement. Maybe not "trivial" (like push a button without reading
anything) but not exactly rocket science. Rather than pointing him at all
the individual books, how about perhaps something like:

"Solaris Solutions for System Administrators"
by Sandra Henry-Stocker and Evan R. Marks
published by Wiley, (c) 2000.

I had used (and hacked) NIS and NFS fairly often before (since '85), but I
found this good for review and "polishing". It has chapters on NIS, NFS,
and even on "Coexisting with the Evil Empire". It has a sections on Samba
& automounter. Relative newbies have borrowed my book and found it useful.

Of course, once you get started, "man" is your friend (and saviour?).

> The benefit to using the above technologies is that you'll have a single
> sign-on as well as centralized storage and administration on the UNIX
> platform.

There might be some tinkering between Samba and Solaris logins.

[snipped some other good stuff]
>> ps: I am slowly learning linux
>
> Don't waste your time: learn Solaris really well, and I mean *well*;
> become an expert at it; once you understand it, Linux will be a walk in
> the park.

That is good advice. Linux tends to be a (slightly?) flakier *nix compared
to Solaris. I have always used Solaris as my "reference platform" even
though I do like tinkering with Linux (and OS/2, etc.). YMMV 

-- 
Juhan Leemet
Logicognosis, Inc.