Specifications

30 Chapter 2 Open Directory Search Policies

Here’s a scenario in which more than one shared directory might be used:

Each class (English, math, science) has a server that hosts a shared directory domain.

Each classroom computer’s search policy specifies the computer’s local domain, the

class’s shared domain, and the school’s shared domain. The students in each class are

defined as users in the shared domain of that class’s server, allowing them to log in to

any computer in the class. The instructors are defined in the shared domain of the

school server, allowing them to log in to any classroom computer.

You can affect an entire network or just a group of computers by choosing the domain

in which to define administrative data. The higher the administrative data resides in a

search policy, the fewer places it needs to be changed as users and system resources

change. Probably the most important aspect of directory services for administrators is

planning directory domains and search policies. These should reflect the resources you

want to share, the users you want to share them among, and even the way you want to

manage your directory data.

Automatic Search Policies

Initially, Mac OS X computers are configured to set their search policies automatically.

An automatic search policy consists of three parts, two of which are optional:

• Local directory domain

• Shared NetInfo domains (optional)

• Shared LDAP directory (optional)

A computer’s automatic search policy always begins with the computer’s local directory

domain. If a Mac OS X computer is not connected to a network, the computer searches

only its local directory domain for user accounts and other administrative data.

School directory domain

Science directory domain Math directory domain English directory domain

Search Policy

LL2352.Book Page 30 Friday, August 22, 2003 3:12 PM