LPIC-2 File Sharing and Samba Practice Question
A Linux server running Samba as a domain member is experiencing slow authentication for users. Which two configuration changes are most likely to improve authentication performance?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse 'performance improvements' with 'security reductions' (like disabling SMB signing) or 'name resolution tweaks', when the actual bottleneck is typically the round-trip time to the domain controller for authentication and ID mapping lookups, which caching directly addresses.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable 'winbind offline logon = yes'
Enabling 'winbind offline logon = yes' allows winbind to cache user credentials locally, so authentication can proceed without contacting the domain controller if it is temporarily unreachable, reducing latency for repeated logins. Option C is correct because setting 'idmap config * : backend = tdb' stores ID mappings (UID/GID to SID) in a local tdb database, avoiding repeated queries to the domain controller for mapping resolution, which directly improves authentication performance in a domain member setup.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Disable SMB signing by setting 'server signing = disabled'
Why it's wrong here
Causes protocol errors
- ✓
Enable 'winbind offline logon = yes'
Why this is correct
Allows cached logon
- ✓
Set 'idmap config * : backend = tdb' to cache ID mappings locally
Why this is correct
Caching reduces LDAP queries
- ✗
Change 'security = ADS' to 'security = user'
Why it's wrong here
Breaks domain membership
- ✗
Set 'name resolve order = lmhosts host wins bcast'
Why it's wrong here
Does not improve authentication speed
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This LPIC-2 practice question is part of Courseiva's free LPI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the LPIC-2 exam.