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There are few people running Windows AD who are going to view this as their next step, largely because they've already become used to running those Windows boxes.

For groups who aren't fully invested in AD, or need compatibility with those who are, this is a major win.



Microsoft AD is the ONLY reason many companies (Apple shops included) have Microsoft servers. People cannot imagine how disruptive is a fully operational Samba 4.0 AD for Microsoft. (like a fully operational space station with a planet destroying laser :p)


If you can offer AD as a service you could setup a tidy business, otherwise not very many people are going to look at this.

Small companies don't have the expertise, large companies can't afford the risk.


Never underestimate the power of "free, as in cheap." :)


How are the GUIs for Samba 4.0 AD features? I usually prefer nice configuration files, but the Windows Server features were very easy to learn. Another nice thing about Windows Server, updates are "free" after a high up-front cost.


The windows ones apparently work with this version of Samba.


I bet the next patch Tuesday will solve that.


The usual MMC snapins probably work with it.


"free, as in cheap" does not apply in the case of an existing infrastructure with staff already trained on using the deployed (AD) system.


Not immediately, but the thing that people can set up and try and say "yeah, sure, problem solved" has a funny way of making it's way into the rack. Whether it does or doesn't in a specific case usually just comes down to whether the one supporting it likes Vi, Emacs, or Word.


Can you imagine offering a fully scalable AD online? Having access to the code you can start doing things that Microsoft never allowed you to do ;)

(Google Docs is, as far as I know, OpenOffice for example)


Google Docs has no relation to OpenOffice iirc. The word processor came from writely and the spreadsheets was some other company's source code, the rest was just extensions on that.


Google Docs is, as far as I know, OpenOffice

I've never heard about this before, and if true, would be really interested in knowing more about the story behind this.

Got some choice links?




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