"Slave" NIS Servers May Not Authenticate UNIX Users (299276)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX 2.0
This article was previously published under Q299276

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 hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that this article describes. Apply it only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

To resolve this problem, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual 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 that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/19/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbenv kbprb kbQFE KB299276
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