[Info-vax] Externally authenticated users

[Malcolm Dunnett]

Syltrem wrote:

> I am trying to setup external authentication on VMS to resolve password 
> synchronization problems (windows, VMS).
> 
> Does someone know if using SYS$ACM automagically handles externally 
> authenticated users or if the application calling sys$acm must do something 
> special in order for it to work (like set some parameter in calling the 
> service, or something) ?

SYS$ACM automagically handles externally authenticated users, unless you
override it by supplying an item of ACME$_TARGET_DOI_NAME with a value 
of "VMS" as one of the itemlist items in the call.

Explicitly specifying the VMS DOI item to $ACM is the equivalent of
using the "/LOCAL" login switch.

> 
> In other words, is the vendor bullshitting me when saying they use sys$acm, 
> or do they really do but must change something in their code to make it 
> "externally authenticated accounts" aware ?

If they have specified the VMS DOI (as per the above) then they should
remove that item and let VMS figure it out. If you don't specify a DOI
then $ACM will use the VMS DOI for local accounts and the appropriate
external DOI for externally authenticated accounts.

BTW Are you using the Microsoft DOI (Pathworks) or LDAP for the external 
accounts? I've been using LDAP here quite successfully (authenticating 
against Active Directory)