OS X Active Directory Integration – How to Bind a Mac to AD

OS X Active Directory Integration – The Process

Minimum Requirements:

• Server hardware running Windows Server 2000-2012 Standard
• Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS) setup and configured
• Domain Administrator-level account
• Apple desktop or laptop running OS X 10.5 or newer

Step 1: Bind OS X to a Windows Domain

1. Login to the Mac as an Administrator
2. Open ‘System Preferences’ and select ‘Users & Groups’
3. Select the ‘Login Options’ menu in the sidebar and use the “Join” button
4. Enter the fully-qualified domain name of the AD domain being bound
5. AD Domain level credentials will be needed

Step 2: Modify Directory Services Settings

1. From the ‘Login Options’ menu again, edit the ‘Network Account Server’ settings
2. Configure the “Force Local home directory on startup” option
3. Configure the “Use UNC path from Active Directory to derive network home location”
4. Select ‘Mapping’ which specifies unique IDs for certain attributes that server to identify a computer account
5. Finally, there will be three optional settings to choose from, “Prefer this domain server”, “Allow administration by” and “Allow authentication from any domain in the forest.” Select whichever option is most applicable.

Now for the good news. Once your Mac clients have been joined to your AD domain, other software services that rely on AD will be able to perform necessary functions for both security and convenience.  For example, with a Mac that is bound to an AD domain, the PortalGuard Desktop Client can be installed and your end users will be able to enjoy the same Self-service Password Reset and Recovery feature that Windows users appreciate.