The company announced at the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo that its DirectControl Suite now supports a number of UNIX and Linux platforms.
DirectControl Suite integrates a myriad collection of platforms, as well as middleware servers like IBM’s WebSphere and BEA’s WebLogic, with Active Directory. The product allows heterogenous IT hardware setups to consolidate access control and identity management.
According to Centrify, DirectControl lets those non-Microsoft platforms actively participate as part of a Microsoft domain with Active Directory. The company described the process in a statement about the product:
The Centrify DirectControl Agent effectively turns the host system into an Active Directory client, enabling an organization to secure that system using the same authentication, access control and Group Policy services currently deployed for its Windows systems.
Centrify DirectControl for VMware ESX Server 3, SUSE Linux 10.1 and SGI IRIX 6.5.22+ are available now. Support for Solaris 10 on x64/x86, Red Hat Fedora Core 5, WebLogic 9.1, and WebSphere 6.1 will be available in September 2006. HP Tru64 UNIX support will begin beta in October 2006.
Microsoft noted on its website that Active Directory can benefit small- and medium-sized businesses just as it can a larger enterprise. Among the enhanced productivity and lower IT headache bullet points, Microsoft said Active Directory can provide better security through its management of access control.
Those who may be considering Active Directory should also consider the ongoing issues with Limited User Accounts (LUA). Aaron Margosis with Microsoft Consulting Services posted information on LUA bugs and the process for fixing some of them in an existing Active Directory installation.
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David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
