Which mechanism of a Linux system is used by Samba to permit identity resolution within a domain?

Question

Options

• ALinux kernel modules (via /etc/modules.conf)
• BName Service Switch (NSS)
• CAutomount (autofs)
• DInode notify (inotify)
• ECron-daemon (crond)

• A
  11% (2)
• B
  78% (14)
• C
  6% (1)
• E
  6% (1)

Explanation

Name Service Switch (NSS) is the Linux mechanism Samba uses for identity resolution because NSS provides a unified, pluggable framework that maps user/group names to UIDs/GIDs - Samba inserts itself via modules like libnss_winbind.so so that domain accounts appear as valid local identities to the OS.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A (kernel modules / /etc/modules.conf) - handles hardware drivers and kernel features, not user/group name lookups.
• C (autofs) - automatically mounts filesystems on demand; unrelated to identity resolution.
• D (inotify) - a kernel subsystem for filesystem event notifications (file changes), not authentication or naming.
• E (crond) - schedules periodic tasks; has no role in resolving domain identities.

Memory tip: Think of NSS as the OS's "phone book lookup" system - it's the layer Linux consults when asked "who is this user?" Samba registers itself in that phone book (via /etc/nsswitch.conf entries like passwd: files winbind) so domain users get recognized system-wide.

No community discussion yet for this question.