samba-mirror/docs-xml/smbdotconf/security/passdbbackend.xml

<samba:parameter name="passdb backend"
                 context="G"
                 type="string"
                 xmlns:samba="http://www.samba.org/samba/DTD/samba-doc">
<description>

    <para>This option allows the administrator to chose which backend
    will be used for storing user and possibly group information.  This allows 
    you to swap between different storage mechanisms without recompile. </para>

    <para>The parameter value is divided into two parts, the backend's name, and a 'location'
    string that has meaning only to that particular backed.  These are separated
    by a : character.</para>

    <para>Available backends can include:
	<itemizedlist>
	    <listitem>
		<para><command moreinfo="none">smbpasswd</command> - The old plaintext passdb
		backend. Some Samba features will not work if this passdb
		backend is used. Takes a path to the smbpasswd file as an
		optional argument.
		</para>
	    </listitem>
			
	    <listitem>
		<para><command moreinfo="none">tdbsam</command> - The TDB based password storage
                backend.  Takes a path to the TDB as an optional argument (defaults to passdb.tdb 
                in the <smbconfoption name="private dir"/> directory.</para>
	    </listitem>
			
	    <listitem>
		<para><command moreinfo="none">ldapsam</command> - The LDAP based passdb 
                backend.  Takes an LDAP URL as an optional argument (defaults to 
                <command moreinfo="none">ldap://localhost</command>)</para>
			
		<para>LDAP connections should be secured where possible.  This may be done using either
                Start-TLS (see <smbconfoption name="ldap ssl"/>) or by
                specifying <parameter moreinfo="none">ldaps://</parameter> in
                the URL argument. </para>

                <para>Multiple servers may also be specified in double-quotes.
		Whether multiple servers are supported or not and the exact
		syntax depends on the LDAP library you use.
		</para>

	    </listitem>
	</itemizedlist>

    </para>
	Examples of use are:
<programlisting>
passdb backend = tdbsam:/etc/samba/private/passdb.tdb 

or multi server LDAP URL with OpenLDAP library:

passdb backend = ldapsam:"ldap://ldap-1.example.com ldap://ldap-2.example.com"

or multi server LDAP URL with Netscape based LDAP library:

passdb backend = ldapsam:"ldap://ldap-1.example.com ldap-2.example.com"
</programlisting>
</description>

<value type="default">tdbsam</value>
</samba:parameter>