ProVide handles Windows and Active Directory authentication automatically, with no need to manually import users or sync user data. It can also override and complement that user data, giving you powerful, simplified management and superior ease of use for Windows and domain users connecting over FTP and SFTP.
Available authentication methods #
- Using an Active Directory / domain
- Using a Windows Server (local or remote)
Multi-domain support and trusts #
You can specify several domains, separated with a pipe (|), to easily support Active Directory trust relationships.
Additions to account management #
Accounts or entire groups in ProVide can be linked to Windows accounts or security groups. Applied to a user, the link sets account settings such as login limits, bandwidth management, and specific home directory contents. Applied to a group, it sets defaults for every user in that Windows group, which makes managing thousands of accounts effortless, for example by using the %USERNAME% token as a resource path so each user automatically gets their own folder.
Seamless authentication at login #
ProVide’s own accounts and settings always take precedence. At login, ProVide checks whether the user:
- Exists as a regular account in ProVide
- Exists as a Windows-connected account in ProVide
- Passes Windows authentication
After gathering the relevant user data, a normal login to the server is performed. This means you can define restrictions and security settings in ProVide on accounts (users and groups) that are connected to Windows accounts, and have all of ProVide’s features enforced on those Windows accounts as they log in.
Windows account impersonation #
With impersonation, each connection runs as the corresponding Windows user, so all Windows access rights and security restrictions apply automatically. A folder that only a specific Windows user can read becomes readable through the server, acting as that user, once they’ve authenticated. This applies to network (UNC) paths too, which makes management straightforward.
Tight integration with Active Directory tokens #
Using ProVide’s Active Directory tokens (%AD_DISPLAYNAME%, %AD_HOMEDIR%, %AD_COMMENT%, %AD_SCRIPT%, %AD_PHONE%, %AD_MAIL%), setting up management for Windows users is effortless. For example, if you set the home directory for the Windows-integrated ProVide group “Domain Users” to use %AD_HOMEDIR% as a resource path, every user automatically gets their own home directory.
The result goes well beyond what’s typically available in other FTP servers, while staying elegant and easy to use.
To access the Authentication Integration settings, log in to the web-based admin interface with an account that has admin privileges, then click Authentication Integration in the top menu.
