Quest Software has beefed up its Mac Active Directory offerings with two new tools. Quest Authentication Services 4.0 is an agent-based Active Directory bridge solution that adds Active Directory's authentication and group policy capabilities to Mac OS X, Unix, and Linux. The other release, Quest Identity Manager for Unix, is a free web-based console for managing Macs, Unix, and Linux clients from any platform--with or without Active Directory.

Authentication Services 4.0

Quest Authentication Services 4.0 installs an agent, similar in concept to Apples Active Directory plug-in, in Mac OS X, and runs software on a server. The new support for Mac's include Active Directory authentication with single signon, bringing Macs into the "trusted realm." However, a company spokesperson said out that the software could also work in an all-Mac environment; the server can run on a Mac and can be administered from a Mac.

Version 4.0 add a number features regarding group policies and Macs. It extends Active Directory Windows identity and access management polices to Macs. It enables Mac OS X System Profiler to see and display preference settings from Active Directory group policy.

Authentication Services can also manage thousands of Mac-specific "managed preferences" that are supported by Apple's Workgroup Manager. These include Finder and Dock settings, System Preferences settings, and applications settings. It also supports Mac preference manifest files for third-party applications, enabling these preferences to be managed from Active Directory group policy.

Version 4.0 also adds printers, so that settings can come out of Active Directory group policy. Stong authentication is supported, including through a smart card (Axalto or CoolKey CAC).

Version 4 expands auditing and alert features, providing more Active Directory information about Mac and Unix/Linux clients. The software can audit who makes changes, such as adding a Mac to Active Directory, altering a policy, adding user and groups. It can audit who makes changes to all Unix-specific data, such as locking down a Mac desktop.

Identity Manager for Unix

The free Quest Identity Manager for Unix is a console and reporting tool that can be used with Authentication Services 4 or with other Active Directory bridge solutions, or outside of Active Directory by itself. It works on any OS platform from the Safari, FireFox, and Internet Explorer web browsers. Identity Manager for Unix collects identity and group information from Mac, Unix, and Linux systems on the network. It can be used to create or terminate user accounts for multiple Mac, Unix, and Linux systems, and can reset passwords.

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