UNIX
64-Bit Computing
Networking
Open Directory
File System
Security Controls
High Availability
Xgrid
A key component of any modern computing environment, directory services allow organisations to centralize information about users, groups, and computing resources. This network-based repository is the foundation for critical IT services, including managing users and groups, directing workflow solutions, providing employee directories, and controlling access privileges. By maintaining a central directory, organisations can consolidate resources, simplify system management, and reduce support and administration costs — while providing strong authentication and password-protected access to network resources.
Always open.
Built into Mac OS X Server is Open Directory, an easy-to-deploy directory and network authentication server that lets organisations benefit from centralized information. Open Directory utilizes open standard protocols such as LDAP, Kerberos, and SASL and can even plug into environments that use proprietary services, such as Microsoft’s Active Directory and Novell’s eDirectory.
One directory.
Open Directory uses LDAP to provide directory services for mixed-platform environments. Whether you have Mac or PC systems on your network, you can set up and manage a single directory; you don’t need maintain a separate directory or separate user records for each platform. This also streamlines the user experience: Users can move effortlessly between Mac and Windows computers — utilizing the same user account.
Single sign-on.
Open Directory also provides robust network authentication with support for single sign-on through the use of Kerberos technology. With single sign-on, users need authenticate only once — with a single user name and password pair — for access to a broad range of Kerberized network services. For services that have not been Kerberized, the integrated SASL service automatically negotiates the strongest-possible authentication protocol.
