Mac OS X: Using the Active Directory plug-in in a multi-domain controller environment

Sometimes the Active Directory plug-in won't bind to Active Directory in a domain with multiple domain controllers (DCs). In this situation, you may get a message that warns of insufficient privileges or an incorrect name or password, and the subsequent binding won't happen. This issue affects Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server versions 10.3 and later.

To resolve the issue, enter a name of a domain controller in the "Prefer this domain server" field in the Advanced Options section of the Active Directory plug-in. This will ensure that the Active Directory plug-in binds to this domain controller first if that domain controller is available on the network.

Tip: If you are new to configuring Directory Services plug-ins, you can access the Active Directory plug-in by opening the Directory Access utility (located in your Utilities folder) and selecting Active Directory.