Services for UNIX

Password Synchronization

Services for UNIX Version 1.0 Password Synchronization synchronizes passwords between computers running Windows and UNIX, enhancing the interoperability of the two systems. The password synchronization software maintains a common password on both the Windows-based and the UNIX-based computers.

The Password Synchronization component of Services for UNIX permits a system administrator to configure a network of Windows-based and UNIX-based computers so that a change made to a Windows password is automatically propagated to the matching user name in the password files in a group of UNIX-based computers. Services for UNIX can be configured so that the password changes are sent from the Windows NT–based computer to the UNIX-based computer as either plaintext or encrypted text. All user passwords must comply with the Windows password rules that are in effect as well as UNIX password rules. Consequently, users should use the stricter of the two sets of rules when selecting a password.

Services for UNIX Password Synchronization supports the following features:

One-way password synchronization from Windows to UNIX.
Plaintext password synchronization using rlogin (the unsecured method).
Triple DES-encrypted password synchronization using a daemon provided by Services for UNIX, an encryption key for changing password in the file /etc/passwd, and Network Information Service (NIS) or NIS+ (the secured method).
Administrative tools to manage all password synchronization processes, including configuration.