AD Login integration with Mac server to use either separate NAS or Win Home folders

[LSDWho]

I'm a bit of a Mac newbie as I'm more used to working in a Windows environment. However, there's a couple of things I'm trying to achieve.

 

To explain the setup we have a Mac server (running on 10.9.5, Server version 3.1.2) which is integrated into Active Directory via our Windows 2008 domain controller. Also all the mac client machines are set up with the Golden Triangle too.

 

Users can log on to any of the macs with their AD credentials with no issue at all. The problems lies in the home directory. I am able to allow users to access their Windows home directory, BUT this isn't the default Home location. That defaults to a local folder on the Mac client. This means users are saving work to this local folder, then going to another mac and unable to access these files.

 

What I would like to do it one of two things - neither of which I seem to be able to implement.

 

1) Set the default Home location on the macs to be the same as the Windows home directory - and therefore not have a local home folder on the Mac. In effect having a single shared Home folder on both Windows and Mac networks. I gather this may not be ideal though at the Macs generate a large volume of data in the Windows home directory before even the first user file is saved. I would still like to explore this however, especially if what I have been led to believe isn't too much of an issue.

 

2) Set the default Home location to a folder separate NAS share for logging onto the Macs, and also allow users to access their Windows home location as an additional share. That way both Mac and Windows folders should follow them round as they move from Mac to Mac.

 

My problem with implementing either of these options is that I don't seem to be able to change the "Home Folder" setting for AD accounts in either the Server Application (the option to change the folder is greyed out when selecting an AD account, however OD accounts - which we don't use - works fine) or via Workgroup Manager (which gives an Unexpected Error - 14140).

 

As we have a large number of users, and a fair few Macs I would need to be able to implement a solution centrally.

 

Any suggestions or pointers would be much appreciated.

 

Cheers,

 

LSDWho

[BrentC]

Hi,

 

By default when binding to AD the directory utility forces the Local Home directory to be on the Startup Disk.

 

You can change this by logging into the Mac > System Preferences > Users + Groups > Login Options. Select Edit on "Network Account Server" then Select "Open Directory Utility" Unlock the padlock and then select "Active Directory"

 

Show advanced Options and untick the box that reads "Force Local Home Directory on Startup Disk" it should then default the home directory to your AD specified folder when you next login.

 

It's a well hidden menu for some reason! Does that fix your issue?

[LSDWho]

Cheers BrentC,

 

I'll give that a try. I assume this is something I'll need to change on all the client Macs, not just the Mac Mini running the server app?

 

Thanks,

 

LSDWho

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Cheers BrentC,

 

I'll give that a try. I assume this is something I'll need to change on all the client Macs, not just the Mac Mini running the server app?

 

Thanks,

 

LSDWho

[BrentC]

No problem!,

 

That is correct, I'm just trying to dig out a way of pushing it out to all your clients at the moment. I'll reply if i manage to find an easy way of doing it!

 

Cheers

 

Brent

[BrentC]

If you are using Apple Remote Desktop to Manage them. You can push this unix command to them all as user "root"

 

dsconfigad -localhome disable

 

this should disable it on all the clients.

 

Give me a shout if you need me to talk you though this

 

Cheers

[mrnoisy]

Thanks for posting this info I've been wondering how to achieve this for some time as its not widely documented.

The only problem I have is that login / logout is a little slower as its synchronising folders, is there any way to control what gets synced ?

I'm also a little concerned of the impact on our resources should we deploy this on mass to 200+ macs, does anyone operate their infrastructure like this. I can see the benefits for us

[BrentC]

It should work in the same way as it does for Windows Clients. I've never known it to sync the files on login / logout. When you first login to a Mac it will however create a load of new folders in your network home directory.

 

Music / Movies / Pictures / Documents / Downloads etc.

 

Do you have any syncing setup on Work Group Manager? how are they managed at the moment?

 

Thanks

[mrnoisy]

Thanks for the prompt reply, just checked and I have automatic sync setup, [emoji12]

[BrentC]

No problem! it confused me for a second there i was looking for other sync options.

 

Do you need the Automatic sync on? I'm interested to know if disabling it makes it any quicker?

 

Cheers!

[mrnoisy]

I turned it off on my Mac whilst testing, it logs in normally, just as quick as before, thanks again

[BrentC]

Great!, No problem!

[davidacland]

Hi, I'm a bit late to the conversation but thought I'd chime in. I've setup similar solutions for a few hundred schools over the past couple of years. Unchecking the "force local home directory on startup disk" option sets the Mac to use the SMBHome attribute as the network home so no data is stored locally. This configuration would be great if it worked, but generally its slow and unstable.

 

Leaving the option ticked and using mobile home syncing gets around the performance issue but is also quite unstable as Apple's implementation of home syncing isn't very reliable.

 

The most stable setup is how you had it configured initial, local homes, mounting the users network home on the desktop and dock. This requires the user to copy any important files to the server before logging off.

 

We have a home syncing solution built- in-house but this took several years to develop and isn't something we would recommend unless you have a lot of free time!

[greyskull]

Portable home syncing is A NIGHTMARE. Much like offline files on WinDoze. Avoid!

[mrnoisy]

Thanks for the info guys, it's not something I'm planning to rollout as I can see from your feedback it's going to be hassle, we also would need a vast amount of data storage, I was asked the question if it was possible and as ever this site provided the answers.