# Stash Latest : External user directories

This page last changed on Aug 07, 2012 by pwatson.

You can connect Stash to external user directories. This allows you to make use of existing users and groups stored in an enterprise directory. Note that Stash comes with an internal user directory, already built-in, that is enabled by default at installation. When you create the first administrator during the setup procedure, that administrator's username and other details are stored in the internal directory.
| Connecting Atlassian Stash to your external directory will not be sufficient to allow your users to log in to Stash. You will need to grant them explicitly the right to use Atlassian Stash in the global permission screen. We recommend you to use groups instead of invidual accounts when granting permissions.
## LDAP You can connect Stash to an LDAP directory for two purposes: For full user and group management, and for authentication — see Configuring an LDAP directory for instructions. For delegated authentication only, while still using the internal directory for user and group management — see Configuring delegated LDAP authentication for instructions. You should consider connecting to an LDAP directory server if your users and groups are stored in an enterprise directory. | On this page: LDAP Crowd JIRA Related pages: Configuring an LDAP directory Configuring delegated LDAP authentication Connecting to Crowd Connecting to JIRA for user management Users and groups

Stash is able to connect to the following LDAP directory servers:

- Microsoft Active Directory
- Apache Directory Server (ApacheDS) 1.0.x and 1.5.x
- Apple Open Directory (Read-Only)
- Fedora Directory Server (Read-Only Posix Schema)
- Novell eDirectory Server
- OpenDS
- OpenLDAP
- OpenLDAP (Read-Only Posix Schema)
- Generic Posix/RFC2307 Directory (Read-Only)
- Sun Directory Server Enterprise Edition (DSEE)
- Any generic LDAP directory server

## Crowd

You can connect Stash to Atlassian Crowd for user and group management, and for authentication.

Crowd is an application security framework that handles authentication and authorisation for your web-based applications. With Crowd you can integrate multiple web applications and user directories, with support for single sign-on (SSO) and centralised identity management. See the Crowd Administration Guide.

You should consider connecting to Crowd if you want to use Crowd to manage existing users and groups in multiple directory types, or if you have users of other web-based applications.

See Connecting to Crowd for configuration instructions.

## JIRA

You can delegate Stash user and group management, and authentication, to an Atlassian JIRA instance.

You should consider connecting to JIRA as an alternative to using Atlassian Crowd for simple configurations with a limited number of users. Stash can only connect to a JIRA server running JIRA 4.3 or later.

See Connecting to JIRA for user management for configuration instructions.

## Attachments:

STASH10_externalDirectories.png (image/png)
STASH10_externalDirectories.png (image/png)
STASH10_externalDirectories.png (image/png)
image2012-3-27 14:45:11.png (image/png)
Stash_1_1_user_directories.png (image/png)
Stash_1_1_user_directories.png (image/png)
image2012-3-27 14:45:11.png (image/png)
STASH10_externalDirectories.png (image/png)
Stash12_user_directories.png (image/png)