Configuring the Directory Service
You can select from a number of directory services for managing users and groups in MCS. Directory service options include:
- MCS Directory — MCS internal directory service, based on the Andrew File System (AFS)
- LDAPv3 Directory — Lightweight Directory Access Protocol version 3, providing support for Active Directory for Windows 2000, Netscape Directory 4.0, Novell Directory, IBM OS/390 LDAP Server (via RACF), and IBM SecureWay Directory Server 3.2.2
- Windows NT (NTDS) — Windows NT Directory Services
- NIS — Network Information Service
You can modify the users and groups that appear in the MCS directory. For the other directory service types, the user and group lists are maintained by that directory service. MCS references the user and group list based on the server address you specify when configuring the directory service in MCS.
Regardless of the directory service you use, you can also create virtual groups, which you can use to organize users within MCS and simplify assigning access rights. Virtual groups exist only within MCS; they are not added to your external directory service.
Once you have created users and groups in the MCS directory or configured an external directory service, you can configure security settings for the MCS users and groups. For information, see Overview of Security.
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If you change the directory service type or configure the server address, you will lose all assignments of configurations to users and groups and all user and group permissions, including rights to configure the server. Make sure that you assign rights to configure the server to an administrator in the new directory service before you restart the server; otherwise, you will no longer have access to configure and manage MCS. (There is, however, a superuser, "System," with a password specified when MCS is installed. This user always has access, and can configure the server and assign rights.) |
| To configure the directory service for an MCS server or server cluster |
- The path to directory service options is different, depending on if you are configuring options for a single MCS server or an MCS cluster.
To configure
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Do
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| A single server |
- In the MCS left pane, point to Services and then click Security.
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| A server cluster (changes affect all servers in the cluster) |
- In the MCS left pane, point to Services and then click Server Management.
- Under Server Management, choose a cluster name to expand the list of items.
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- Click Directory Services.
The Directory Services page appears in the MCS management pane.
- From the Directory Type list box, select the directory service that you want to use for managing MCS users and groups.
- If you select LDAPv3 Directory, Windows NT (NTDS), or NIS, click Configure to access the configuration settings for that directory service.
- In the Properties of Directory_type dialog box, configure the properties for the directory service as needed.
For details on the Properties of Directory_type dialog box, click Help.
- Click OK to close the Properties of Directory_type dialog box.
The server address you specified for the directory service appears on the Directory Services page.
- Click Save to activate your directory service settings.
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