WS_FTP Server hosts can be configured to use several types of user databases, allowing you to use an existing user database to minimize administration time and effort. Each WS_FTP Server host can use only one user database.
Note: The type of user database used by a host must be selected when the host is initially created. User database type for a host cannot be changed after the host is created.
When you create a host that uses an external user database such as the Microsoft Windows user database, Microsoft Active Directory, or LDAP database, WS_FTP Server replicates all users to the WS_FTP Server data store and stores additional information about each user (such as home folder location and folder permissions).
User passwords are not stored in the WS_FTP Server user database. When a user logs on to the WS_FTP Server host, the user is authenticated against the external user database.
If you create or delete a user on an external database, you must synchronize the database before the change appears in the WS_FTP Server Manager.
To select the user database:
Note:If you opt to use an external user database, users cannot authenticate over SSH using public key authentication. Because no key is associated with the Windows user account, users must authenticate using a password.
You can configure a Microsoft Active Directory database using the LDAP option, or the Microsoft Active Directory database option. The latter allows you to use Windows file permissions for the user folders.