Synchronisation between UCS and Microsoft Windows with Samba Active Directory

In “Fail-safe performance and load distribution thanks to LDAP replication” I focused on describing the UCS OpenLDAP directory service. Unfortunately, OpenLDAP is only of comparatively little help to me if I want to operate Windows systems in my network, as Windows doesn’t speak the standard-compliant LDAP protocol as a rule, but rather a particular dialect that Microsoft selected for its Active Directory. I would now like to explain which technologies integrated in Univention Corporate Server we can use to deal with this situation and go into more detail about the replication via listener/notifier for OpenLDAP, DRS replication for the Active Directory and the “Univention S4 Connector”, which synchronises between the two worlds.

UCS 4.0-3 release with new features and numerous updates

UCS Logo
The current release of Univention Corporate Server supplies various security updates and bug fixes and now offers Dovecot as the default mail server as well as the possibility to define LDAP filters for policies. UCS 4.0-3 now also brings the automatic creation of Univention Apps as images for various virtualization environments. The apps available in the Univention App Center are now automatically provided as complete applications that consist of UCS as the platform, UVMM as the management system, and the app itself. They are ready to download for various virtualization formats such as VMware or KVM.

Dovecot is the default IMAP/POP3 mail server in UCS

Univention integrated Dovecot as new default IMAP/POP3 mail server in UCS. This article gives a first overview about this integration.

Why Dovecot as default IMAP/POP3 server in UCS?
Dovecot IMAP Server LogoDovecot has a focus on security, stability and performance, while complying with established standards. Similarly to Postfix Dovecot starts a couple of separate processes for different tasks. The processes can be run with different owner and group permissions to limit the impact of a security incident.

Dovecot supports several backend storage formats: mbox, Maildir and dbox. In each case it uses indices to increase access performance. Their self healing and self optimizing features reduce tedious administrative intervention and simplify backups.

Should QNAP servers be expanded with UCS and Zarafa or is it technical overload?

QNAP LogoIt’s not just in our working lives that digitalisation is constantly gaining ground; the number of digital devices we use at home is also increasing on a daily basis. A family of four or a shared flat can easily boast a formidable number of different devices and applications. It gets even more interesting when friends come to visit and want to play a movie on your television or use your printer. And it gets downright complicated if all these digital devices have to interact with each other too! In such cases, the requirements are often hardly any different from those of a small company, and the need for more comprehensive functions soon arises.

Many people already have a small home server at home, even if they don’t realise it. Boxes like QNAP, Synology and the like are often used for central file storage and as media servers, and these little boxes can really do much more than you’d think. So why not tap the existing potential?