[Freeipa-users] IMPORTANT: Your input requested: SSSD LDAP Provider vs Winbind

[Stephen Gallagher]

When we originally designed SSSD, we looked at it as a solution for
dealing with LDAP and Kerberos identity and authentication for Linux and
UNIX clients. With our initial approach, we decided to include only
marginal support for Microsoft's Active Directory as a source of user
information (only supporting it when it is enabled for use with
posixAccount and posixGroup object classes).

Our original assumption was that for complicated deployments relying on
Active Directory, users would prefer to continue using Winbind. It has a
very long history and is specifically designed around managing the
peculiarities of Microsoft's LDAP implementation.

Of late, it has become apparent that many users are opting to "jump
ship" from winbind to SSSD for use with Active Directory. This has been
shown by a sharp uptick in community bug reports with Active Directory
servers.

Up until now, our plans around Active Directory have circulated around
including a "Winbind Provider" into SSSD, similar to the LDAP provider
but making use of the original winbind features found in the Samba
project. However, it's beginning to seem like users are expressing an
interest to move AWAY from that solution.

This may result in a change in our strategy going forward. I'm looking
for users to describe to us the reasons why they're choosing SSSD (in
its current incarnation) over winbind. What I'm trying to sort out is
whether there are specific *issues* with winbind that SSSD is solving
for users. In other words, I'm trying to determine whether our decision
to write and support a winbind provider backend is misplaced.

It may be that if SSSD's LDAP provider is offering a significant
advantage over winbind, we will consider dropping (or deferring) our
efforts to integrate winbind and instead put that effort into adding
Active Directory-specific features into the LDAP provider. For example,
we might reprioritize bugs https://fedorahosted.org/sssd/ticket/995 and
https://fedorahosted.org/sssd/ticket/996

So please, share with us your stories for why you prefer SSSD over
winbind and help us choose our direction for SSSD's future.
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