Kerberos is a network authentication protocol built to verify identities over insecure channels. It uses secret-key cryptography to let nodes trust each other. A Self-Hosted Kerberos setup gives you control over the Key Distribution Center (KDC), the heart of the system that issues tickets to clients. Those tickets are how Kerberos ensures secure, authenticated communication without sending passwords over the network.
Running Kerberos Self-Hosted means deploying your own KDC, not relying on external services. You choose the hardware, the OS, and the configuration. You manage the realms, principals, and ticket lifetimes. This approach limits exposure to third parties, and lets you integrate authentication deeply with your existing infrastructure.
To set it up, you first install a Kerberos implementation like MIT Kerberos or Heimdal on your chosen server. Configure the realm name—usually your domain—and create administrative principals. The KDC database stores user and service credentials, encrypted with master keys. You then set up one or more Key Distribution Centers and optionally slave KDCs for redundancy. Every client and service needs a principal in the database, and secure keytab files to authenticate automatically.