Introduction

Managing user accounts can be simple or complex, depending on the size of the network. Today, many Solaris servers are simply database servers or Web servers, and users do not log directly in to these systems. In addition, Solaris workstations may only require login accounts for one or two users. On the other hand, in a university setting, a server may hold hundreds of user login accounts. Managing these accounts is very complex because the accounts change every semester. The system administrator is not only responsible for managing user accounts but also for ensuring that system security is not compromised.

This chapter describes how to manage user accounts while maintaining a reasonable level of security on a system.