Microsoft Windows user database

If you select the Microsoft Windows user database option, all users in the Windows user database on your computer or on a specified domain are granted access (using their Windows username and password) to the host.

Using the WS_FTP Server Manager, you can display each user account and modify file transfer settings for an account, but you cannot add or delete user accounts. You must add or delete user accounts through Windows.

To configure a host to use a Microsoft Windows user database:

  1. From the top menu, select Host > Host Details. The Host Details page opens.
  2. Next to User database, click Configure. The User Database Configuration page opens.
  3. Set the appropriate options.
    • Domain controller. Enter the host name of the domain controller for the domain to which the users that you want to grant access belong. To use the local users from the computer where WS_FTP Server is installed, enter a single period.
    • Domain. Enter the name of the domain to which the users you want to grant access belong. To use the local users from the computer where WS_FTP Server is installed, enter a single period.
    • Use Microsoft Windows file permissions. Select this option to use Microsoft Windows file permissions in addition to any permissions set within WS_FTP Server. For more information, see Using Windows file permissions.
  4. Click Save.
  5. For WS_FTP Server to access the Microsoft Windows user database, you must change the user context under which WS_FTP Server is running using one of the following methods:
    • Provide impersonation credentials for the host. WS_FTP Server can impersonate any Windows user. For more information, see Changing user context via user impersonation.
    • Change the user context for WS_FTP Server services and the web server's virtual folder. You can change the WS_FTP Server services to run as a Windows user who has access to the Microsoft Windows user database. For more information, see Changing user context on the services.

      Note: If you choose to change user context on WS_FTP Server services and the web server's virtual folder, you must restart all services before the changes become active.