Allow AD or LDAP Users to Create a New Account

Administrators can allow AD or LDAP users to create a new FileCloud user account in one of the following ways:

  • Have FileCloud automatically create a new FileCloud account for AD or LDAP Users on first login (credentials are the same as their AD or LDAP credentials)

  • Active Directory or LDAP users create a new FileCloud account different from their AD or LDAP credentials

To allow an AD or LDAP user to create a new FileCloud user account:

  1. Set up AD or LDAP based authentication following the instructions in Active Directory Authentication or LDAP Based Authentication.

  2. In the FileCloud admin portal, go to Customization > Login.
  3. Check Show New Account Button.

  4. Now, in the FileCloud admin portal, go to Settings > Admin.
  5. In Allow account signups, select Default.

  6. To set an approval method, in Automatic account approval, choose a value.

 The user is notified by email when:

  • Trying to connect (when admin approval is pending) 
  • When the admin has approved the device trying to connect

SettingLocationOptionsDescription
Show New Account ButtonCustomization > General > Login 

ENABLED = Displays New Account button on user log-in page. opens a window for the user to type in new account information

DISABLED = Hides New Account button on user log-in page.

This setting determines whether the New Account button appears on the user portal log-in page.

If enabled, this setting works with two other settings to determine authentication and approval permissions:

  • Allow Account Signups
  • Automatic Account Approval

Allow account signupsAdmin settings page

Specifies if a user can or cannot create a new FileCloud user account from the login page. by choosing:

  • Default
  • True
  • False

Can Create an Account

Prerequisite: Show New Account Button  = Enabled

Default = AD and LDAP users can create their own accounts by logging in to the user portal (they do not have to click the New Account button).

  • Active Directory authentication allowed
  • LDAP authentication allowed
  • Local users (who are not using AD or LDAP authentication) cannot create their own accounts.


True = Local users can create their own accounts

  • Local users (who are not using AD or LDAP authentication) can create their own accounts by clicking the New Account button when they initially log in.
  • Active Directory authentication not allowed
  • LDAP authentication not allowed

Cannot Create an Account

False = No users can create their own accounts

  • If the New Account button is enabled, and the user clicks it, an error message indicates that new account creation is not allowed.

This setting controls if the user can create a new account. By default, the account is disabled until an administrator approves it. If you want the account to be automatically approved, use the Automatic Account Approval setting.

Do I choose Default or True?

Default

  • If you are using AD or LDAP authentication.
  • You want to allow your AD users to create their own FileCloud user accounts. After you import AD or LDAP user accounts into FileCloud, instruct the users to log in using their AD or LDAP credentials and on first login FileCloud will automatically create their new FileCloud accounts.
    Note: If you are not using AD or LDAP authentication, users cannot create their own accounts.

True

  • If you are NOT using AD or LDAP authentication
  • You want to allow your users to create their own user accounts by clicking the New Account button. By default, the account is disabled until an Administrator approves it.
    Note: If you are using AD or LDAP authentication, AD or LDAP users can create accounts which do not use their AD credentials by clicking the New Account button.

Automatic Account Approval

Admin settings page

(Default) No automatic approval. Admin has to approve account.

Automatically approve new accounts to Full User

Automatically approve new accounts to Guest User

Automatically approve new accounts to External User

(lightbulb)  If the total number of licenses has been reached, share invitations to new users are blocked unless Automatic Account Approval is set to Automatically approve new accounts to External User.

Prerequisites:

  • New Account = ENABLED
  • Allow Account Signups = Default or True

This setting determines:

  • If the account created by the user is disabled until the Administrator approves it
  • If the account is approved with a specific level of access automatically without intervention from the Administrator.

(lightbulb)  For smaller organizations or high security sites, you can configure this option so that when a user creates a new account it is disabled until it is approved by the administrator.

(lightbulb)  For larger organizations, it might not be practical to have the administrator approve every account created and you can use the automatic account approval settings.

You can allow AD and LDAP users to create accounts with their AD and LDAP credentials or with different credentials.

Admins want FileCloud to automatically create a new FileCloud account

for their Active Directory or LDAP Users on first login


Active Directory or LDAP Users create a new FileCloud account different from their AD or LDAP credentials

The Admin can configure the approval process

  1. The administrator configures the Authentication type as Active Directory or LDAP.
  2. (Optional) The administrator imports AD or LDAP user accounts into FileCloud.
  3. The administrator provides the user with the URL for the user portal.
  4. The user accesses the user portal from a Web browser, mobile device, or FileCloud client application.
  5. On the login window, the user enters their AD or LDAP username and password.
  6. FileCloud uses the AD or LDAP credentials to automatically create a FileCloud account for that user.
  1. The administrator configures the Authentication Type as Active Directory or LDAP.
  2. (Optional) The administrator imports AD or LDAP user accounts into FileCloud.
  3. The administrator provides the user with the URL for the user portal.
  4. The user accesses the user portal from a Web browser, mobile device, or FileCloud client application.
  5. On the user portal login window, the user clicks the New Account button.
  6. The user enters details in the account creation fields.
  7. The account is created and is either disabled OR granted access of a Full User, Guest User, or External User as set by the administrator.
  8. The admin is notified about the new account.
  9. The user receives an account creation email using the email address provided during account creation.
  10. The user is required to verify the email account to complete the account creation process.

Settings, Authentication settings

(tick) Authentication type = Active Directory or LDAP

Customization > Login 

(tick) New Account button = Enabled

Settings, Admin settings

(tick) Allow account signups = Default

(tick) Automatic account approval = The new user account is automatically approved with Full or Guest access.

Settings, Authentication settings

(tick) Authentication Type = Active Directory or LDAP

Customization > Login 

(tick) New Account button = Enabled

Settings, Admin settings

(tick) Allow Account Signups = Default

(info) Automatic Account Approval = any choice


For more information:

Configure Active Directory

Configure LDAP


Configuring a Scenario

FileCloud supports the following authentication modes:

  • Default authentication
  • Active Directory based authentication
  • LDAP based authentication

The following table describes how each authentication mode impacts the users' ability to create a new account.


 

Default Authentication

AD

LDAP

Authentication

Performed by FileCloud Server

In AD ServerIn LDAP Server
Users can Create AccountsPermittedNot PermittedNot Permitted
User Account TypesFull, Guest, ExternalFull, GuestFull, Guest

Prerequisites

  • Active Directory or LDAP service must be accessible from FileCloud (IP and Port must be accessible)
  • Active Directory or LDAP must support Simple Authentication Method (Anonymous or Name/Password Authentication Mechanism of Simple Bind)
  • Active Directory or LDAP users must have an email attribute