This LPIC-2 practice question tests your understanding of file sharing and samba. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A Samba server is experiencing slow authentication for domain users. The logs show repeated winbind connections to the domain controllers. The administrator suspects that winbind is not caching credentials properly. Which parameter should be checked or increased to improve caching?
winbind rpc only
Why wrong: This forces winbind to use RPC instead of LDAP.
winbind offline logon
Why wrong: This allows logon when DC is unreachable.
winbind cache time
This sets the number of seconds to cache authentication results.
winbind request timeout
Why wrong: This sets the timeout for RPC requests.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
winbind cache time
The `winbind cache time` parameter controls how long winbindd caches user and group information retrieved from domain controllers. Increasing this value reduces the frequency of authentication requests to the DCs, improving performance. The default is 300 seconds; a higher value (e.g., 900 or 1800) can significantly reduce repeated connections.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
winbind rpc only
Why it's wrong here
This forces winbind to use RPC instead of LDAP.
winbind offline logon
Why it's wrong here
This allows logon when DC is unreachable.
winbind cache time
Why this is correct
This sets the number of seconds to cache authentication results.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
winbind request timeout
Why it's wrong here
This sets the timeout for RPC requests.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse `winbind offline logon` (which enables caching for offline scenarios) with `winbind cache time` (which controls how long cached data is considered valid), leading them to pick B instead of C.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, winbindd maintains an in-memory cache of user/group records and updates it based on `winbind cache time`. Each time the cache expires, winbindd re-queries the domain controller via LDAP or RPC. In large environments with many users, a low cache time (e.g., 300 seconds) causes excessive DC load. Increasing this value to 900–3600 seconds can reduce DC queries by 3–12x, but must be balanced against the need for up-to-date group membership changes.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the LPIC-2 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
File Sharing and Samba — This question tests File Sharing and Samba — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: winbind cache time — The `winbind cache time` parameter controls how long winbindd caches user and group information retrieved from domain controllers. Increasing this value reduces the frequency of authentication requests to the DCs, improving performance. The default is 300 seconds; a higher value (e.g., 900 or 1800) can significantly reduce repeated connections.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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.
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