Database Propagation

The database that is stored on the master KDC must be regularly propagated to the slave KDCs. One of the first issues to resolve is how often to update the slave KDCs. The desire to have up-to-date information that is available to all clients needs to be weighed against the amount of time it takes to complete the update. For more information about database propagation, see Administering the Kerberos Database.

In large installations with many KDCs in one realm, it is possible for one or more slaves to propagate the data so that the process is done in parallel. This strategy reduces the amount of time that the update takes, but it also increases the level of complexity in administering the realm.