When a user or group is created under Windows NT/200x, it is allocated a numerical relative identifier (RID). This is slightly different from UNIX, which has a range of numbers that are used to identify users and the same range used to identify groups. It is Winbind's job to convert RIDs to UNIX ID numbers and vice versa. When Winbind is configured, it is given part of the UNIX user ID space and a part of the UNIX group ID space in which to store Windows NT users and groups. If a Windows NT user is resolved for the first time, it is allocated the next UNIX ID from the range. The same process applies for Windows NT groups. Over time, Winbind will have mapped all Windows NT users and groups to UNIX user IDs and group IDs.

The results of this mapping are stored persistently in an ID mapping database held in a tdb database. This ensures that RIDs are mapped to UNIX IDs in a consistent way.