password server

By specifying the name of a domain controller with this option,
and using security = [ads|domain]
it is possible to get Samba
to do all its username/password validation using a specific remote server.

Ideally, this option
should not be used, as the default '*' indicates to Samba
to determine the best DC to contact dynamically, just as all other hosts in an
AD domain do. This allows the domain to be maintained (addition
and removal of domain controllers) without modification to
the smb.conf file. The cryptographic protection on the authenticated RPC calls
used to verify passwords ensures that this default is safe.

It is strongly recommended that you use the
default of '*', however if in your particular
environment you have reason to specify a particular DC list, then
the list of machines in this option must be a list of names or IP
addresses of Domain controllers for the Domain. If you use the
default of '*', or list several hosts in the password server option then smbd will try each in turn till it
finds one that responds. This is useful in case your primary
server goes down.

If the list of servers contains both names/IP's and the '*'
character, the list is treated as a list of preferred
domain controllers, but an auto lookup of all remaining DC's
will be added to the list as well. Samba will not attempt to optimize
this list by locating the closest DC.
If parameter is a name, it is looked up using the
parameter and so may resolved
by any method and order described in that parameter.

Example: NT-PDC, NT-BDC1, NT-BDC2, *

Example: windc.mydomain.com:389 192.168.1.101 *

Supported on: At least Microsoft Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 family

password server

Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry PathSoftware\Policies\Samba\smb_conf\password server
Value Namepassword server
Value TypeREG_SZ
Default Value*

samba.admx

Administrative Templates (Computers)