External Authentication config question

[colinkeefe]

Hi,

I'm having problems getting External Authentication to run properly and consistently. Here's the configuration:

FMS7 running on NT4 with latest sp, IIRC, but see note below *

FMP Groups set up in Active Directory on the AD machine

FMP Groups set to logon as a service on AD machine

Database files set with identically named Accounts as AD FMP Groups, assigned priv set with varying levels of access

FMS7 set to authenticate using FM and External Authentication

After monkeying around and applying various patches (server v2 patch, client v3 patch) I got this to work - for awhile, anyway. What's happening is various Groups will no longer authenticate. A user who opened the database with no problems an hour earlier suddenly can't open it any more.

*FMS7 was installed by the client prior to my arrival on the scene. In the process of troubleshooting, I noted that this machine's name can't be viewed, because: it's a domain controller. Now, I'm just now trying to figure out how AD works etc, but this seems wrong to me. They already have an AD machine, and my gut feeling is that the fact that the FMS7 machine is also a domain controller is part of my problem.

So, for starters, anybody know if this configuration is permissible/advisable? And could it cause the behavior described above? Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Thanks in advance,

Colin Keefe

[transpower]

To demote a Domain Controller, run DCPROMO and choose to Remove Active Directory.

[colinkeefe]

Okay - I'll request that the client's IT staff will do that if necessary.

My question is, is it necessary? Do I need to tell IT to do this in order to get External Authentication to run? Or is this irrelevant to my problem?

Thanks,

Colin

[transpower]

It's possible to have two or more Domain Controllers in a network, although I usually don't. A Domain Controller is its own DNS server. So after you remove AD from your computer and set DNS to the original Domain Controller, then External Authentication should work. HTH.

[colinkeefe]

Okay, so you're saying that having a Domain Controller on the same machine as FMS7 *does* cause stability problems with External Authentication...right?

Or are you saying that it's a *possible* cause, and that they don't need an extra Domain Controller anyway, so we can try removing it and see if that works?

Sorry to be annoying about it...I just don't want to have IT go to the trouble of making these config changes and still be in the same boat I am now.

Thanks transpower,

Colin

[Barbecue]

I was under the impression FM Server 7 requires Win2K or later. Is it possible that could account for the problem? If not, and Server 7 lives happily on NT4, that would be good news for me, as it would save me some bux.