The Identity Management for UNIX MMC snap-in does not list a newly-added Windows Server 2008-based subordinate NIS server

Consider the following scenario:

• You have a Windows Server 2008-based or Windows Server 2003 R2-based domain controller that is running the Server for Network Information Service (NIS) service. Additionally, the domain controller is the master NIS server.
• You install the Server for NIS service on an additional Windows Server 2008-based domain controller.

In this scenario, the Identity Management for UNIX (IdMU) MMC snap-in does not display the newly-added NIS subordinate server in the list of NIS servers on the master NIS server.

This problem occurs because of changes to the installation methods in Windows Server 2008. The Niscnfg.exe tool does not run when the Server for NIS service is installed on additional domain controllers. Therefore, the GECOS attribute of the newly-added server is not populated in Active Directory with the string "NIS Server." This value determines which servers are running the Server for NIS service and are serving as NIS servers.

To resolve this problem, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Run the Niscnfg.exe tool

Run the Niscnfg.exe tool on the Windows Server 2008-based domain controller. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the Windows Server 2008-based domain controller that you installed the Server for NIS service, locate the following directory:
   %WINDIR%\IdMU\Setup
2. In the Setup directory that you found in step 1, double-click the Niscnfg.exe file.
   
   Note You can also locate the "%WINDIR%\IdMU\Setup" directory at the command prompt and then run the Niscnfg.exe tool.

After the Niscnfg.exe tool finishes, restart the IdMU MMC snap-in and verify that the newly-added domain controller now is displayed as a subordinate NIS server.

Note Niscnfg.exe is a character user interface (CUI) application. It does not accept any parameters and returns no output.

Method 2: Change the GECOS attribute

Use the Active Directory Service Interfaces Editor (ADSI Edit) tool to change the GECOS attribute on the Windows Server 2008-based domain controller that you installed the Server for NIS service to contain the "NIS Server" string.

For more information about the ADSI Edit tool, see the "ADSI Edit (adsiedit.msc) Overview" topic on Microsoft TechNet. To do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The GECOS field is an optional field that is used to store various pieces of information, such as the user's full name.