[OpenAFS] Future of AFS? Interesting Ideas!?
Patrick J. LoPresti
patl@curl.com
16 Dec 2002 12:00:17 -0500
Derrick J Brashear <shadow@dementia.org> writes:
> On Sun, 15 Dec 2002, Benjamin Rodewald wrote:
>
> > 2. AFS Databases in LDAP?
> > - - You can use slurpd(openldap) for replication
>
> Boy how I love that fixed master replication.
So contribute some Ubik code to OpenLDAP :-).
Seriously, I think Benjamin has a good point. If AFS wants to become
more than an obscure, largely academic technology, it must be easier
to integrate with more widespread technologies. Kerberos 5 and LDAP
would be my choices; a less idealistic person might say Active
Directory :-(.
Maintaining multiple databases (LDAP, Kerberos, pts) sucks. Note that
"good synchronization tools" is not a solution. If the
synchronization is incremental, it inevitably leads to
inconsistencies; if the synchronization is by full DB conversion, it
is too slow for large installations.
A single database is by far the best solution. Failing that, two
databases is better than three, three is better than four, and so on.
I find it amazing, and discouraging, that it is almost 2003 and there
is still no decent "single sign on" solution for heterogenous sites.
Granted, a large part of this is Microsoft's fault. But not all of
it. And it would be nice if OpenAFS were part of the solution instead
of the problem.
I am speaking here as an admin and potential OpenAFS customer, not as
someone ready to put some code where his mouth is. Feel free to
weight my opinion accordingly.
- Pat