Information about Services For Unix (SFU)

[Sergio 1]

I want to know about an information about Services For Unix (SFU). I am having the somewhat knowledge about it, so you can consider me as noobie. SFU is a sub system of APIs and tools for Unix administration and development to assist the migration of business applications to Unix or Linux computers with Windows. Also want to know more about the synchronizing passwords. Can we use it with the NFS? I am expecting some helpful notes from your side.

[Chakradev]

SFU includes a list of tools: synchronization password, Telnet Server, Windows Remote Shell (rsh), User Name Mapping, Server for NFS Authentication, Server For PCNFS, Interix SDK ActiveState ActivePerl. Services For Unix provides an integrated solution for:

• The interoperability between Unix and Windows authentication, file sharing and printer unified, simplified administration. A whole set of tools to make transparent the combined use of Windows and Unix platforms.
• Allow system administrators to Unix using skills they now reside on the same Windows shells, utilities and scripts which they are accustomed to Unix.
• Allow the migration of Unix applications under Windows with Interix, Microsoft provides the Windows platform on a Unix subsystem and full performance. You can now run applications in parallel with Unix and Windows applications. NET-art, all on one system, familiar and easy to administer.

[GracieSingh]

It can interact with the following environments (however SFU can work with other environments):

• Sun Microsystems Solaris 7 and 8
• Hewlett Packard HP-UX 11i
• IBM AIX 5L 5.2
• Red Hat Linux 8.0

And the Microsoft Services For Unix 3.5 is supported on the following platforms:

• Windows 2000 (all versions)
• Windows XP Professional
• Windows Server 2003 (all versions except Web Edition)

[Avikshit Sinha]

The goal of the synchronization password is to allow Windows and Unix environments to coexist, while having a synchronization passwords secure. Synchronization is possible in both directions on supported platforms: Hewlett Packard HP-UX v.11i, Red Hat Linux 8.0, Sun Microsystems Solaris 7 or 8 (on SPARC platforms only), IBM AIX 5L version 5.2. The synchronization of passwords is based on two components:

• Single Sign-On Daemon (SSOD): Windows to Unix
• Password Authentication Module (PAM): Unix to Windows

Once Services For Unix installed (if you chose the default installation) synchronization of passwords is managed by the administrative console. We must then define the remote machine with which we wish to synchronize the port, and the method of synchronization: unidirectional or bidirectional. Another solution is to set up a Server for NIS (Network Information System) in the Windows Active Directory to provide authentication between platforms. Parallel to the synchronization of passwords, it may be of interest to establish the mapping of user names. The mapping of user names is a mechanism that binds the group IDs and users (UID and GID) Unix and Linux users on Windows (SID). It can associate multiple Windows accounts on a single UNIX account.

[Sharanya]

Services for Unix is also a perfect tool to interact with environments NFS (Network File System). There are three components:

• Client for NFS.
• Server for NFS.
• Gateway for NFS.

I am trying to explain it in more detail. Hope you will find it useful.

• Client for NFS: as its name suggests it is the client side. This is the software to be installed on Windows clients so they can access an NFS share.
• Server for NFS, so it's the opposite of Client for NFS. This is the software to be installed on a Windows server so that NFS clients (mostly on Unix or Linux) can access the server (using NFS).
• Gateway for NFS is the most powerful tool that allows to link a shared NFS and Windows clients in a totally transparent to the user. The gateway is installed on a Windows server or machine independent, it retrieves the NFS share and the public as a Windows share.

In practice the implementation is rather easy when you install Services For Unix, you simply select the component you want to deploy.