Centralized Authentication.

[Michael Morris]

Is it possible, with Linux servers, to force them to check a remote server that stores all user accounts and the passwords thereunto, even the root password, such that the password for the machines can be updated together - and as importantly user accounts can be opened and closed across all machines at once? If so, where is literature on doing this?

[Aleksejs]

Hi!
In Linux it is done by configuring/using Pluggable Authentication Modules to authenticate against Some sort of Directory. In Linux-only environment most commonly authentication against LDAP is used.
http://commons.oreilly.com/wiki/inde...ols/Using_LDAP
http://www.linux.com/community/blogs...-OpenLDAP.html
http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Setting_Up...ess_Using_LDAP
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/libs/pam/modules.html