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The agenda for sambaXP 2026 is now online on the conference website. On April 20 and 21, the 25th edition of the international Samba conference will bring developers, users and vendors to Göttingen, Germany, for two days of technical exchange around Samba, SMB and interoperability. Organized by SerNet since 2002, this year’s conference is supported by Microsoft, Tranquil IT, SerNet and SAMBA+.

The program opens with Volker Lendecke’s “A Quarter Century of sambaXP” and then moves quickly into the questions shaping Samba development today. That is especially visible in the strong Samba-AD and security track. Talks on the evolution of Samba-AD, recent advances in Samba AD security, and practical approaches to moving beyond NTLM reflect a project that is long past its experimental phase and is now being discussed in terms of resilience, authentication and fit in complex production environments.

The file-serving and protocol side of the agenda is equally substantial. Sessions on SMB3 Persistent Handles, SMB over QUIC, SMB-Direct, SMB Multichannel, SMB3 POSIX Extensions, Ceph RGW access via Samba, and ongoing changes in the Samba VFS point to a program grounded in implementation details, performance questions and interoperability work across a changing ecosystem.

By the end of the second day, the focus has shifted clearly forward. Tom Talpey’s closing session, “The Future of SMB3,” takes a look at the protocol’s next phase. This year’s conference may not only revisit what has been achieved and what is currently being built, but also hint at what will give the project fresh momentum in the years ahead.

And as always, sambaXP is not just about talks: the event is a space for discussion and exchange. Beyond the main conference, the week also includes the SNIA SMB3 Interoperability (IO) Lab EMEA from April 21 to 23 and the Himmelblau Workshop on April 22. The IO Lab is hosted by SNIA and sponsored by Microsoft. The Himmelblau session will be led by David Mulder and focuses on integrating Linux clients into Entra ID and managing them in Intune with the current stable version of Himmelblau. Given Mulder’s work on Entra ID authentication and Himmelblau, the workshop reads as a particularly timely addition to the week – and, notably, as his first dedicated workshop at sambaXP on one of the most actively debated current topics in Linux identity integration.

The full agenda is now available: https://sambaxp.org.

As part of our ongoing webinar program, the next session „Setting up Samba on AIX with SAMBA+“ will be hold on March 25 (3-4 CET) by Björn Jacke. 
The session is ideal for admins who want to use AIX and Samba efficiently in corporate networks.

Key Topics:

• Expert Guidance: Björn Jacke, a renowned expert, will provide step-by-step instructions on setting up Samba with SAMBA+ on AIX, IBM's Unix operating system.
• Active Directory Integration: Learn how to integrate Samba into an Active Directory environment seamlessly.
• Troubleshooting Tips: Gain insights and tips to overcome common challenges.
• Parameter Settings: Explore specific parameter settings in AIX for optimal performance.
• Interactive Q&A: An opportunity to ask questions and receive answers in real-time from the expert.

Register & find more infos here: Webinar “Setting up Samba on AIX with SAMBA+”
 

On April 22, 2026, one day after sambaXP, the first official Himmelblau Workshop will take place in Göttingen.

At last year’s sambaXP, David Mulder presented “Azure Entra ID authentication in Samba using the Himmelblaud daemon.” 
Since then, the project has evolved rapidly and moved from technical introduction to practical deployment.

The 2026 workshop builds on that foundation and is aimed at:

• Linux system administrators
• Identity and Entra ID engineers
• Intune and device management teams
• IT professionals managing hybrid Linux environments

Participants will work hands-on with Linux clients, both with and without GUI, and configure:

• Entra ID authentication
• Multi-factor login
• Policy enforcement
• License management
• Intune-based device management

The session uses the current stable Himmelblau release. Entra ID accounts are provided, so no personal tenant or prior setup is required.

If you are responsible for integrating Linux systems with Entra ID and want to move from protocol discussion to implementation, this workshop provides a structured, practical environment.

Registration for the workshop is required and available here: sambaxp.org

From April 21–23, 2026, immediately following sambaXP, the SNIA SMB3 Interoperability (IO) Lab EMEA will take place at the Hotel Freizeit In in Göttingen, Germany.

The IO Lab is hosted by SNIA and organized by Microsoft. It provides a structured environment where vendors can bring their SMB3 implementations to test interoperability, identify issues, and resolve them collaboratively.

The objective is practical and clear: improve cross-vendor interoperability and strengthen the SMB ecosystem through direct technical collaboration.

A Hands-On Interoperability Lab 

The IO Lab is designed for hands-on testing. Participants connect their implementations to a shared infrastructure provided by SNIA and work through defined test scenarios. The testing process is jointly agreed upon by participants to ensure clear objectives and measurable results.

The environment enables focused interoperability testing using:

• The latest Windows client and server software
• Microsoft Windows protocol test suites for SMB3 validation
• Direct access to Microsoft’s Windows Protocol Support team
• Engagement with members of the Windows development team

This setup allows vendors to test against reference implementations and resolve issues in real time.

Schedule

Set-up: April 21, 2026 Testing: April 22–23, 2026 Tear-down: April 23, 2026
Each participant receives a dedicated test bench including power and network connectivity.

Please note: Participation is subject to a non-disclosure agreement. Lab access is restricted to registered attendees.

Participation

The participation fee is €350 per person and includes dinner on April 21 and breakfast and lunch on April 22–23. Registration and further logistics information are available via SNIA.