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?
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://www.linux.com/community/blogs/Centralized-authentication-with-OpenLDAP.html
http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Setting_Up_A_Centralised_Authentication_Server_With_Sudo_Access_Using_LDAP
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/libs/pam/modules.html