Using Services for UNIX to Integrate UNIX Systems with an Active Directory/Exchange Server 2010 Environment (part 1)

Understanding and Using Windows Server 2008 UNIX Integration Components

Microsoft has a long history of not “playing well” with other technologies. With Windows 2008, Microsoft introduces native support for Windows Server 2008 UNIX Integration, a series of technologies that was previously included in a product line called Windows Services for UNIX (SFU). With Windows Server 2008, each of the components of the old SFU product is included as an integrated service in the Windows Server 2008 OS.

For many years, UNIX and Windows systems were viewed as separate, incompatible environments that were physically, technically, and ideologically different. Over the years, however, organizations found that supporting two completely separate topologies within their environments was inefficient and expensive; a great deal of redundant work was also required to maintain multiple sets of user accounts, passwords, environments, and so on.

Slowly, the means to interoperate between these environments was developed. At first, most of the interoperability tools were written to join UNIX with Windows, as evidenced by Samba, a method for Linux/UNIX platforms to access Windows file shares. Microsoft’s tools always seemed a step behind what was available elsewhere. With the release of the new Windows Server 2008 UNIX Integration tools, Microsoft leapfrogs traditional solutions, such as Samba, and becomes a leader for cross-platform integration. Password synchronization, the capability to run UNIX scripts on Windows, joint security credentials, and the like were presented as viable options and can now be considered as part of a migration to or interoperability scenario with Windows Server 2008.

The Development of Windows Server 2008 UNIX Integration Components

Windows Server 2008 UNIX Integration has made large strides in its development since the original attempts Microsoft made into the area. Originally released as a package of products called Services for UNIX (SFU), it received initial skepticism. Since then, the line of technologies has developed into a formidable integration and migration utility that enables for a great deal of inter-environment flexibility. The first versions of the software, 1.x and 2.x, were limited in many ways; however, subsequent updates to the software vastly improved its capabilities and further integrated it with the core operating system.

A watershed development in the development of Services for UNIX was the introduction of the 3.0 version of the software. This version enhanced support for UNIX through the addition or enhancement of nearly all components. Included was the Interix product as well as an extension to the POSIX infrastructure of Windows to support UNIX scripting and applications natively on a Windows Server.

Then, version 3.5 of Services for UNIX was released, which included several functionality improvements over Windows Server for UNIX 3.0. The following components and improvements were made in the 3.5 release:

• Greater support for Windows Server Active Directory authentication

• Improved utilities for international language support

• Threaded application support in Interix (separated into a separate application in Windows Server 2008 named the Subsystem for UNIX Applications)

• Support for the Volume Shadow Copy Service of Windows Server 2008

Finally, we come to the Windows Server 2008 version of Services for UNIX, which was broken into several components that became embedded into the operating system. No longer are the components part of a separate “package.” Instead, the components have been built into the various server roles on the operating system.

Here is the structure of major improvements for the Windows Server 2008 UNIX Integration:

• x64 bit Windows Server OS Support

• AD Lookup capabilities through the inclusion of GID and UID fields in the AD Schema

• Enhanced UNIX support with multiple versions supported, including the following: Solaris v9, Red Hat Linux v9, IBM AIX version 5L 5.2, and Hewlett Packard HP-UX version 11i

• Capability for the Telnet Server component to accept both Windows and UNIX clients

• Extended NIS interoperability including allowing a Windows Server 2008 system to act as an NIS master in a mixed environment

• Removal of the User Mapping Component and transfer of the functionality directly into the AD Schema

• NFS server functionality expanded to Mac OSX and higher clients

• Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications (SUA) enables POSIX-compliant UNIX application to be run on Windows Server 2008, including many common UNIX tools and scripts

• Easier porting of native UNIX and Linux scripts to the SUA environment

Understanding the UNIX Interoperability Components in Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 UNIX Integration is composed of several key components, each of which provides a specific integration task with different UNIX environments. Any or all of these components can be used as part of Windows Server 2008 UNIX Integration as the installation of the suite and can be customized, depending on an organization’s needs. The major components of Windows Server 2008 UNIX Integration are as follows:

• Services for NFS (includes Server for NFS and Client for NFS)

• Telnet Server (supports Windows and UNIX Clients)

• Identity Management for UNIX (includes the server for Network Information Services and Password Synch components)

• Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications (SUA)

Each component can be installed as part of a server role. For example, the Services for NFS components are installed as part of the File Services role in Windows Server 2008. Each component is described in more detail in the following sections.

Prerequisites for Windows Server 2008 UNIX Integration

Windows Server 2008 UNIX Services interoperate with various flavors of UNIX but were tested and specifically written for use with the following UNIX versions:

• Sun Solaris 7.x, 8.x, 9.x or 10

• Red Hat Linux 8.0 and later

• Hewlett-Packard HP-UX 11i

• IBM AIX 5L 5.2

• Apple Macintosh OS X