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Q299276: "Slave" NIS Servers May Not Authenticate UNIX Users

Article: Q299276
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 2.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbenv
Last Modified: 08-MAY-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX, version 2.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

A UNIX user may not be authenticated from a "slave" Network Information Service
(NIS) server on Microsoft Windows 2000 after changing his or her password on the
"master" NIS server.

CAUSE
=====

Although the NIS server stores UNIX user credentials in Active Directory, it
also creates password and group files to be used for authentication. These files
are created in the MapCache folder on the NIS server and are called
passwd.byname, passwd.byuid, group.byname, and group.byuid.

When a UNIX user requests authentication, the NIS server references these files
to handle the request. If a UNIX user changes his or her password, the password
attribute is updated in Active Directory and then replicated around the domain.
The "master" NIS server also updates the passwd.byname and passwd.byuid files in
its MapCache folder.

There is a problem in which "slave" NIS servers on Windows 2000 see the password
updated in Active Directory, but do not update the password files in the
MapCache folder. When the UNIX user requests authentication, the request does
not succeed because the old password is still in the Mapcache folder.

RESOLUTION
==========

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to
correct the problem described in this article and should be applied only to
systems experiencing this specific problem.

To resolve this problem, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the
fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and
information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World
Wide Web:

  http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are normally incurred for support calls may
be canceled, if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific
update will resolve your problem. Normal support costs will apply to additional
support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in
question.

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or
later:

  Date         Time   Version        Size      File name    Platform
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
  23-May-2001  14:25  5.2000.328.19  15,66 KB  Nis2ad.exe   ix86
  23-May-2001  14:25  5.2000.328.19  16,06 KB  Nisctrl.dll  ix86
  23-May-2001  14:25  5.2000.328.19  15,66 KB  Nismap.exe   ix86
  23-May-2001  14:00  5.2000.328.19     80 KB  Nisprop.dll  ix86
  23-May-2001  14:19  5.2000.328.19    127 KB  Nissvc.exe   ix86



STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products that are
listed at the beginning of this article.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbenv 
Technology        : kbWinServiceUNIX200 kbWinServiceUNIXSearch
Version           : :2.0
Hardware          : ALPHA x86
Issue type        : kbprb

=============================================================================

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