How-To-Mac > How to integrate OS X 10.5 with Active Directory (Windows)

Now you have all the following information you will need to go into the Directory Utility application found in the utilities folder. 

 

 

In order to add any servers you need to authenticate as a local administrator on the client. To do this simply click the pad lock at the bottom left had side of the screen. This will then pop up a box asking for you to put in an admins username and password.  

On the top box you need to select Active Directory. You will then be presented with the following box.

With the details you were given from your network manager you should now be able to add the required information. Once all boxes have been filled in you then need to click the OK button. This will then start to bind your client computer to Active Directory.

If all has gone through with no errors you can now login your client with an active directory username and password.

Now you can authenticate with Active Directory you may want to link your home drive to the users personal user area. To do this you need to do the following.

Within Directory utility you need to click the “Show Advance Options” Button on the bottom right hand side.

Then click the Services Icon on the top tabs. You will then be presented with the following.

if you Double click on the Active Directory plugin you will have a few options put in front of you. If you click the “Show Advance options” you should see the following.

If you untick the box “Force Local Home Directory on startup disk” this will then allow users to user their user areas on a windows server as there home drive. For this to happen each user account must have a home drive location. If you wanted users to have a home folder located on the client itself with /Users folder you would need to have that option ticked. 

Also if you wanted to have a mobile account which allowed users to login at home with a laptop with their Active Directory user account you can tick the box with says “create mobile account at login”. This can be more helpful to laptop users as it offers synchronization.