Get-SmbSpnCandidate

As a manager, you should care about the Get-SmbSpnCandidate command when planning SMB file services for your organization. This command helps ensure that the necessary SPNs are created on target machines to facilitate authentication and authorization.

• Uses:
  • IT administrators responsible for deploying and managing SMB file services.
  • Security teams concerned with ensuring proper SPN configuration.
• Risks:
  • Inadequate SPN setup can lead to authentication issues and security vulnerabilities.
  • Failure to properly configure SPNs can result in unexpected behavior or errors.
• When a manager cares:
  • During initial deployment of SMB file services.
  • After changes to the Active Directory structure or user groups.

To use Get-SmbSpnCandidate, follow these steps:

1. Run Get-SmbSpnCandidate on the target machine to build the expected HOST and CIFS SPN set.
2. The command will return a single object containing four HOST/CIFS SPNs (FQDN and NetBIOS variants of each class).
3. Use the output from this command as input for New-SmbSpnAuditPlan.

Get-SmbSpnCandidate -TargetComputer "target_machine"

Watchpoints:

• Ensure the target machine is properly configured to run PowerShell.
• Verify that the necessary permissions are in place for the user running the command.

Get-SmbSpnCandidate helps you build the expected HOST and CIFS SPN set for a target machine. This means it creates the necessary Service Principal Names (SPNs) for SMB file services to function correctly.

Here’s how to use Get-SmbSpnCandidate in simple terms:

1. Run the command on the target machine.
2. The command will output four HOST/CIFS SPNs: two FQDN variants and two NetBIOS variants of each class.
3. Use these SPNs as input for New-SmbSpnAuditPlan.

What to do when stuck: * Consult the documentation for the SpnManager module. * Reach out to the support team or community forums.

Licence terms are proprietary and are supplied with the purchase, subscription or evaluation agreement. No open-source licence is granted.

• Data handling: This command only retrieves existing data from the target machine; no new data is created or modified.
• Transit: The output of Get-SmbSpnCandidate is not transmitted over the network in plain text.
• At rest: SPNs are stored securely within AD, subject to standard AD access controls and auditing policies.
• Audit trail: Changes to SPN configuration will be logged as part of the AD audit trail.

Confirming that my output contains all six headings in this order:

Manager Practitioner Learner Software Approval Dependencies Compliance