ÂWhat services and resources users need (such as mail or access to data storage)
ÂHow to divide users into groups (for example, by class topic or job function)
ÂHow to group computers (such as all computers in a public lab)
Identifying Directory Services Requirements
Identify the directories where you’ll store user and group accounts, computers, and computer groups:
ÂSet up an Open Directory master and replicas to host a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory for storing other user accounts, group accounts, computers, and computer groups on your network. For information about password handling options, see Open Directory Administration.
ÂIf you have an earlier version of an Apple server, you might be able to migrate existing records. For available options, see Updating and Migrating.
ÂIf you have an LDAP or Active Directory server set up, you might be able to use existing account records. For details about accessing existing directories, see Open Directory Administration.
For information about working with Open Directory groups and computer groups, see Chapter 5, “Setting Up Group Accounts,” and Chapter 6, “Setting Up Computers and Computer Groups.”
Note: If all domains are not finalized when you’re ready to start adding user and group accounts, add the accounts to any directory domain that exists on your server (the local directory domain is always available). You can move users and groups to another directory domain later by using your server’s export and import functions.
Passwords are not retained when exporting and importing account information. For more information, see the appendix, “Importing and Exporting Account Information.”
Determining Server and Storage Requirements
When planning for server needs, you must first acquire the following information:
ÂThe number of concurrently connected computers, which affects network traffic and server response times
ÂThe number of user accounts, which affects the amount of storage space required to store user files
Directory services, including authentication and user management, require one Open Directory master or replica for every 1000 computers, regardless of the number of total user accounts. For example, if you have 400 computers and 2000 users, you need one Open Directory master for authentication and account management. If you have 1800 computers and 2500 users, you need one Open Directory master and one Open Directory replica.
Chapter 2 Getting Started with User Management
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