1 <samba:parameter name="password server"
4 xmlns:samba="http://www.samba.org/samba/DTD/samba-doc">
6 <para>By specifying the name of a domain controller with this option,
7 and using <command moreinfo="none">security = [ads|domain]</command>
8 it is possible to get Samba
9 to do all its username/password validation using a specific remote server.</para>
11 <para>Ideally, this option
12 <emphasis>should not</emphasis> be used, as the default '*' indicates to Samba
13 to determine the best DC to contact dynamically, just as all other hosts in an
14 AD domain do. This allows the domain to be maintained (addition
15 and removal of domain controllers) without modification to
16 the smb.conf file. The cryptographic protection on the authenticated RPC calls
17 used to verify passwords ensures that this default is safe.</para>
19 <para><emphasis>It is strongly recommended that you use the
20 default of '*'</emphasis>, however if in your particular
21 environment you have reason to specify a particular DC list, then
22 the list of machines in this option must be a list of names or IP
23 addresses of Domain controllers for the Domain. If you use the
24 default of '*', or list several hosts in the <parameter
25 moreinfo="none">password server</parameter> option then <command
26 moreinfo="none">smbd </command> will try each in turn till it
27 finds one that responds. This is useful in case your primary
28 server goes down.</para>
30 <para>If the list of servers contains both names/IP's and the '*'
31 character, the list is treated as a list of preferred
32 domain controllers, but an auto lookup of all remaining DC's
33 will be added to the list as well. Samba will not attempt to optimize
34 this list by locating the closest DC.</para>
36 <para>If parameter is a name, it is looked up using the
37 parameter <smbconfoption name="name resolve order"/> and so may resolved
38 by any method and order described in that parameter.</para>
42 <related>security</related>
43 <value type="default">*</value>
44 <value type="example">NT-PDC, NT-BDC1, NT-BDC2, *</value>
45 <value type="example">windc.mydomain.com:389 192.168.1.101 *</value>