Topic: SMEServer8 PDC, joining W8

[MattyUSA]

Hi

Forgive me I'm new here and I need some advice on SMEServer8 as a PDC.

The goal is to install it as a PDC into a small network powered by business cable connection. So they already have the gateway/dhcp/dns that they are happy with.

We really only want the following services:
Authentication
   Ability to join Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 to a local “domain” so that login credentials can be managed.
Potentially network shares but this is not critical.

I came across SMEServer and installed version 8 the 64bit bit version on the PC we have for use. The PC has a single Ethernet adaptor.

My goal is to set up as a test environment, join test machines to it then redo with real values for domain/network.

I’m having some difficulty joining Windows 8 Pro 64bit to the test SMEServer8.

The error that comes back is a DNS one.

Code: [Select]

The following error occurred when DNS was queried for the service location (SRV) resource record used to locate an Active Directory Domain Controller (AD DC) for domain "MYCOMPANY.LOCAL":

The error was: "DNS name does not exist."
(error code 0x0000232B RCODE_NAME_ERROR)

The query was for the SRV record for _ldap._tcp.dc._msdcs.MYCOMPANY.LOCAL

Common causes of this error include the following:

- The DNS SRV records required to locate a AD DC for the domain are not registered in DNS. These records are registered with a DNS server automatically when a AD DC is added to a domain. They are updated by the AD DC at set intervals. This computer is configured to use DNS servers with the following IP addresses:

10.0.0.250

- One or more of the following zones do not include delegation to its child zone:

MYCOMPANY.LOCAL
LOCAL
. (the root zone)

Initial questions:

• • Does SMEServer8 handle Windows 8/7/Vista/XP domain joins (without client modification)?
       I know Microsoft changed some aspects from XP domain joins to Vista/7/8 ones. We’re not eager to have to visit systems to make registry changes first, if possible.
  • Is the serveronly role the correct role for this setup?
  • Can I live without DHCP from SMEServer? If so would I need to have the IP for SMEServer set as the first DNS? If not advised then we can run with SME8 as the DHCP server.
  
  I’ve tried it with and without SME8 acting as a DHCP server and confirmed the same error (in both cases I’ve set the servers IP as the dns on the client.
  
  
  • Windows 8 complains it can’t find a computer account for my system do I have to setup hosts firsts (I suspect not)?
  • Is there anything wrong with the configuration below?

Code: [Select]

Networking Parameters

Server Mode serveronly
Local IP address / subnet mask 10.0.0.250/255.255.255.0
Gateway 10.0.0.1
Additional local networks 10.0.0.0/255.255.255.0
DHCP server enabled
Beginning of DHCP address range 10.0.0.200
End of DHCP address range 10.0.0.225

Server names

DNS server 10.0.0.250
Web server www.mycompany.local
Proxy server proxy.mycompany.local:3128
FTP server ftp.mycompany.local
SMTP, POP, and IMAP mail servers mail.mycompany.local

Domain information

Primary domain mycompany.local
Virtual domains mycompany.local
Primary web site http://www.mycompany.local
Server manager https://pdc/server-manager/
User password panel https://pdc/user-password/
Email Addresses useraccount@mycompany.local
firstname.lastname@mycompany.local
firstname_lastname@mycompany.local

Can anyone shed any light on where I might be going wrong please?

Best Wishes
Matt

[TerryF]

As far as XP and Vista goes no probs but for rest read here as a start: http://forums.contribs.org/index.php/topic,49229.msg245652.html#msg245652

[MattyUSA]

Darn.

Thank you for the response.

I recognised that many linux PDC's were NTDomain and thus ruling out Windows 7+ (I had thought Vista too). I recalled reading in theregister.co.uk review that this would be "fixed" in SMEServer8 which is why I started gave it a shot.

I guess a registry hack isn't too bad but I may try Samba4 first and check out SMEServer9 when it is released into Stable.

Many thanks for the link/response. Much appreciated.

Matt

[janet]

MattyUSA

I guess a registry hack isn't too bad but I may try Samba4 first and check out SMEServer9 when it is released into Stable.

It is not a hack (in a negative connotation).
It is a valid switch to disable advanced functionality that Microsoft enables by default (in their "profound" wisdom).
It means that by default, the Windows workstation requires a proprietary Microsoft server.
By changing the registry setting, it simply allows connectivity of the workstation to older style domain controllers (which Microsoft would prefer you were not using).
Nothing bad about that.

I think you will be waiting a long time for samb4 & sme9 with guaranteed functionality equivalent to the more advanced proprietary Microsoft servers.
As Microsoft is unlikely to ever release proprietary code, and also has it copyrighted, then how could samba 4 really do the same job ?

Just change the registry settings now, and happily start using the functionality of sme8 & NT style domain controllers.

[MattyUSA]

You are absolutely right and it was very well stated. "Hack" was a poor choice of word. I should have used manual edit.

>I think you will be waiting a long time for samb4 & sme9 with guaranteed functionality equivalent to the more advanced proprietary Microsoft servers.
heh, I agree. the key phrase is "is guaranteed functionality equivalent to more advanced Microsoft servers."

We don't need it all. Right now just login credential management. Maybe group policy later. Perhaps a few network shares.

My understanding is the Samba4 PDC allows native Windows 7/8 joining, right now. So hopefully no wait involved. So I'll check it out.
Going off this info:
https://www.samba.org/samba/news/releases/4.0.0.html
http://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Samba4/videos

Given that we only need the User Management features of it and that can be managed from a Windows 7 machine in a familiar ADAC tool it should suffice. The fact that Samba4 also reports to offer Group Policy compatibility and other proprietary goodies without the MS expense can't harm should our needs expand.

All this said I only found SMEServer8 yesterday. I'm impressed. I'll be back to check out v9 when its here.

Best Wishes
Matt

[janet]

MattyUSA

Read the thread linked to & check bugzilla, as I think there was something there re current samba 3x usability that is in sme 8, win7 & 8 work with sme 8 as DC according to sme user reports

[MattyUSA]

There is. In so far as I can gather it is back to that manual registry edit. SME8 doesn't let Windows 7/8 join it natively "out of the box", yet. I guess it is more accurate to say that Microsoft refuse to join SME8, since the restriction is more on the MS side and that's what that registry edit is for.

I'll pop back to SME8 for the next project when deadlines are not tight or when SME9 comes out. The solution in this instance is now built and ready for tomorrow.

Thanks again.