[Samba] Integrating Samba into a Database and configured for OpenVPN

[Jesse Stone]

Hi All,

This is my first post and I am relatively new with Linux.

I am attempting to do three things and I'm hoping for advice:

1)  Intergrate Samba fully with MySQL  (unless another database would be
considered better for this task).  One of the things I've always had trouble
with Linux is that everything is seperate.  I understand that provides
flexibility but I would like to configure my system (Ubuntu 8.04) so that
everything is intragrated into 1 single database.  This includes SSH, Shell
Access, VPN, VNC, ect.

2) I have configured an OpenVPN server that I would like to provide shares
to via Samba.  The problems I'm running into is A) The OpenVPN is configured
to be on a seperate subnet than the rest of my network.  I want to configure
Samba (and only Samba, not the rest of the machines in my network) to appear
under Network Neighborhood to provide share access.  The main thing is that
I do not want VPN users to see any of my machines that sit outside the VPN
even if (through Samba) they obtain data from them.

3)  I've been researching setting Samba as a domain controller for my
Windows machines (and other Linux machines?).  I would like this to be used
for the VPN as well.  Instead of me required to create actual users on my
system and then disabling SSH access.  I would like to be able to add users
via MySQL and indicate that they are VPN users and should have limited
access.

For me, this is a learning process and I do not expect detailed instructions
in how to acomplish this.  I would just like guidance (web sites would be
great) that would help me acomplish this goal.  What I do NOT want to do is
have to setup two seperate instances of Samba, 1 for the VPN and 1 for the
rest of the network.

-Jesse