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Because this book's primary mission is the interoperation of Windows and FreeBSD, there are many version dependencies. Chief among these is the new Microsoft Active Directory, introduced in Windows 2000. Active Directory interoperation was not covered because when this book was written, the Samba software suite had no support for it. This has changed with Samba 3.X. That version now has enough support to permit joining a Samba system to a Windows Active Directory.

One of the most important requirements of running a corporate network is stability. To get maximum stability with interoperation of the FreeBSD 4.X releases and Windows, the optimum FreeBSD 4.X version is FreeBSD 4.10, and the optimum Windows versions are Windows XP client with XP Service Pack 2, and Windows 2000 Server in "NT Domain emulation" mode, with Active Directory switched off. Since NT Domain emulation mode is required to support Windows 95 and Windows 98 systems, most corporate networks will not be switching to Active Directory until well into 2005. By then, FreeBSD 5.X will be well into its release train.

With this in mind, smaller cash-strapped organizations that wish to remain with Windows 98 Workstation have until June 30 2006 before Microsoft places Windows 98 at End Of Life. See the following: Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Support Extended for Windows 98 and Product Lifecycle Dates - Windows Product Family for Windows NT. FreeBSD 4.X servers and Samba 2.X will remain a strong, stable and solid platform for this kind of network. In 2005 if the organization is still not interested in switching off the Windows NT Domain style networking to the newer Active Directory, they merely need to update their systems to Windows 2000 and they will have until March 2008 before those systems are End of Life. During this time they can run the FreeBSD 4.X release train and still run Samba 2.X. Otherwise, the organization can start transitioning to FreeBSD 5.X and Samba 3.X with Active Directory support and a current Windows operating system in 2005.

Read about this further at the Microsoft Web site.

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