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RadioFrame Networks Increases Developer Productivity using Centrify DirectControl with Samba

"The product installed in 20 minutes and delivered exactly what I needed. "

Christopher Smith
IS Manager, RadioFrame Networks

The Challenge: Integrating Apps and Systems with Microsoft Active Directory

RadioFrame Logo

RadioFrame Networks provides converged platform solutions for wireless operators (cellular / PCS systems) in the pico-cell and micro-cell spaces. Their mission is to create a new generation of wireless hardware and software that delivers on the promise of greater capability and productivity for the end user. Justly proud of their expertise, RadioFrame is constantly developing new technologies to converge wireless mobile voice and data access into a one-platform solution.

— Sun Solaris 10

— Samba

— IBM Rational ClearCase

— 50 Developers

In support of the innovative development at RadioFrame, Christopher Smith, I.S. Manager, intended to use the Samba 3 support provided with Sun Solaris 10 to deliver seamless access for Windows users of the IBM Rational ClearCase application. Part of their expectation was an easy integration with Active Directory 2003 to manage authentication. After applying expert resources from both within and outside of RadioFrame, they were not able to configure a reliable solution. Smith despaired of solving it until one of his weekly Internet searches for a solution revealed a new capability offered by Centrify.

"Centrify DirectControl's Samba support promised seamless Samba and SSO for my users," Smith observed. "Rational is very picky about UID mapping, but Centrify DirectControl took the user account administration worries off the table. The product installed in 20 minutes and delivered exactly what I needed."

How DirectControl for Samba Works

DirectControl joins UNIX systems to the Active Directory domain and enables centrally controlled user identity mapping across all servers.

The DirectControl module for Samba controls the mapping of an Active Directory user's login name to their Unix profile to ensure proper file system access controls. Users from one Active Directory domain can access Samba shares on servers that are members of another trusted domain without being prompted for their credentials. This is the same behavior that users would expect when using an all-Windows environment.

Keeping Access Transparent for the Users

Though the critical challenge was establishing and maintaining reliable access to the server, it was also important to RadioFrame that the users not have to discern what systems they are accessing, or track multiple passwords. Now user account administration is centralized in Active Directory, the UID mapping is dealt with, Rational ClearCase works as expected and the users have the access they need without even knowing or caring that the system is UNIX.

For the Future

"With Centrify DirectControl in place we are planning to add up to 200 accounts, and because Centrify licenses per server not per user it won't increase our costs. I'll just be saving more time on account administration by being able to do it all from Active Directory," said Smith. "In addition to this savings regarding administration, the Engineering departments will realize hours of savings between their Windows and Linux platform development scenarios."

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