Many organizations rely on Microsoft Active Directory to centrally manage employee user accounts. By integrating Active Directory (AD) with PADS4, you can seamlessly utilize this existing structure for authentication and user management.

PADS4 works with your existing Active Directory structure without requiring any modifications to organizational units (OUs) or user groups.

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How PADS4 Works with Active Directory

Once a connection to Active Directory is established, you can create LDAP users in PADS4. These users are directly linked to Active Directory accounts, ensuring a synchronized and secure authentication process.

  • When an LDAP user logs in, PADS4 automatically authenticates them using credentials stored in Active Directory.
  • Any changes to usernames or passwords in Active Directory are instantly reflected in PADS4.
  • If a user account is disabled in Active Directory, they will no longer be able to log in to PADS4.
  • When a user is removed from Active Directory, they are automatically deleted from PADS4.
  • If the PADS4 Server has limited permissions for accessing Active Directory, updates from AD may not take effect immediately and will be applied after a server restart.

Important: Removing an LDAP user from PADS4 does not delete their account from Active Directory.

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Managing Users & Permissions

All user group memberships, permissions, and license assignments are managed within PADS4, including for LDAP users.

If the Active Directory connection is disabled, the previously created LDAP users remain active in PADS4. This allows you to reuse them if you re-enable the AD connection in the future.

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Configuring Active Directory in PADS4

To integrate Active Directory with PADS4, follow these steps:

1️. Configure the Active Directory connection settings

  • Open the Server Settings window in PADS4 System Management.
  • Enter the required Active Directory connection details.

2️. Restart the PADS4 Server

  • This ensures the Active Directory connection settings take effect.

3️. Create LDAP users

  • Navigate to the Users window in PADS4 System Management.
  • Create one or more LDAP users linked to Active Directory accounts.

4️. Assign user groups & licenses

  • Ensure users are assigned to the appropriate user groups.
  • Assign the necessary licenses to each user.

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Final Steps

Your Active Directory integration is now complete!
Users can log in using their Active Directory credentials.
User authentication & updates are automated and seamless.

By leveraging Active Directory with PADS4, organizations can maintain centralized user management, improve security, and simplify authentication without modifying their existing Active Directory structure.