About the document:

This document gives the details of how we can used centralized authentication and authorization to manage our environment using Active Directory. Below are key components for this setup.

1) Active Directory Domain Controller

2) Adding the Server/workstation in the domain

3) Create a role base access control policy for the Users.

What is Central Authentication Services?

Authentication is the process that determines whether a person or computer really is who he/she claim to be. Authentication to the application us usually managed by username followed by password.

What is Central Authorization service?

An authentication service can be used by several different systems and applications to ensure the identity of the users who are trying to connect to them.

A web based login service allows users to access multiple password-protected web services by logging in once. This is often called single-sign on (SSO).

What is an AD?

Active Directory is Microsoft's directory service based on the LDAP protocol which allows administrators to assign policies, deploy software, and apply updates for an entire organization. AD also allows users to store data in a central location, where it is backed up

What is the advantages of using the Active Directory Domain Service for Centralized authentication?

1) We can centrally manage our security policy from the domain controller and it is better than reach any Server/Workstation physically/remotely and manage the security policy for that individual Server/Workstation.

2) Single set of administrators will manage all the security policies in the environment. Only these users have permissions to add/modify/delete the security policies.

3) Enforce an Organization-wide security policy to force the users to change their password after a certain period.

4) Directory service or Global Catalog (GC) means a single platform for all other directory-wire services, including monitoring and messaging.

5) Service task, such as software deployment, inventory object management can be performed centrally.

Adding Linux Server/Workstation in the domain

Step1 (download and install the prerequisites):-

1) Download the “DirectManage Deployment Manager” software from the centrify website. The link of the software given below.

http://downloads.centrify.com/products/directmanage/5.1.2/Centrify-DirectManage-Express-5.1.2-win64.zip

2) Install the “DirectManage Deployment Manager” software in the Domain Controller.

Step2 (Adding the Ubuntu Server in the domain):-

Before joining the Ubuntu Server in the domain we need to modify the DNS setting and install portmap on the Ubuntu server.

To modify the DNS setting of the Ubuntu server we need to edit the /etc/resolve.conf file and add the Active Directory DNS server IP address.

Portmap needs to be installed on Ubuntu Server because “DirectManage Deployment Manager” use NIS server to talk with the client.

Installing Portmap on Ubuntu Server

Once all the prerequisites are installed successfully, we will be able to add the Ubuntu server to the domain.

For joining the Server to the domain go to the domain controller and login with the Administrator Credential.

Open the “DirectManage Deployment Manager” console

Then click on Add Computer

Click on Add a Single computer and specify the IP address of the Ubuntu server and click on next.

You will get a notification massage stating that “The following computer is discovered”. Please click on next.

Then click on the “specify a new set of account information” and click on next

In next prompt it will ask for account information.

Specify the username you used to login in Ubuntu Server. The default name is “ubuntu”. Click in the check box “specify privilege command in task that require root privilege”.

It will ask you the “authentication method”. Click on the “Authentication using private key” and give the “pem” key associated with the instance( if linux server is on AWS Cloud then specify pem key or else select simple username and password based authentication ).