Every Windows network user account must be translated to a UNIX/Linux user account. In actual fact, the only account information the UNIX/Linux Samba server needs is a UID. The UID is available either from a system (POSIX) account or from a pool (range) of UID numbers that is set aside for the purpose of being allocated for use by Windows user accounts. In the case of the UID pool, the UID for a particular user will be allocated by winbindd .

Although this is not the appropriate place to discuss the username map facility, this interface is an important method of mapping a Windows user account to a UNIX account that has a different name. Refer to the man page for the smb.conf file for more information regarding this facility. User name mappings cannot be managed using the net utility.