[SSSD-users] Funky machine accounts created, then adcli join will not correctly succeed.

[Spike White]

All,

This is just an annoyance that occurs periodically and we can't figure out
why.  We know how to remediate once seen.

Every now and then, on a new build the sssd join/configure will fail.
For example, a server provisioner today built 10 boxes and 2 failed.  Upon
closer inspection, we see that AD domain has machine accounts with funky
names.

For example, these three VMs were built.  ausflinfsfdcap01 - 03.  01 and 02
built fine, sssd installed, adcli join succeeded, life was good.  We find
the usual machine accounts in the usual OU.
CN=ausflinfsfdcap01, CN=ausflinfsfdcap02

On 03, the adcli join failed.  In AD, we find the following funky machine
accounts (in the usual OU):

CN=AUSFLINFSFDCAP0\0ACNF:5020ab3d-243a-4ef1-827b-d421c0dcf3d0
CN=AUSFLINFSFDCAP0

This first machine account name is fairly typical when this
failure occurs.  This second I've never seen this particular type of funky
name server.  I.e., a truncated hostname.

When I try adcli join again right now, it will fail (because of these funky
named machine accounts).

I delete these funky machine accounts via ldapdelete.  Example:

ldapdelete -H ldap://ausdcamer.example.com
'CN=AUSFLINFSFDCAP0\0ACNF:5020ab3d-243a-4ef1-827b-d421c0dcf3d0,OU=Servers,OU=UNIX,DC=example,DC=com'

then I delete /etc/krb5.keytab file (if it exists) and re-run the adcli
join -- which then succeeds.

So like I say -- we know how to work around this failure mode.  It's just a
nuisance at this point.  Usually occurs << 10% of builds.

But does anyone know why these funky-named machine accounts arise?  And how
to avoid this?

Spike