Book Image

Mastering OpenLDAP: Configuring, Securing and Integrating Directory Services

Book Image

Mastering OpenLDAP: Configuring, Securing and Integrating Directory Services

Overview of this book

This book is the ideal introduction to using OpenLDAP for Application Developers and will also benefit System Administrators running OpenLDAP. It prepares the reader to build a directory using OpenLDAP, and then employ this directory in the context of the network, taking a practical approach that emphasizes how to get things done. On occasion, it delves into theoretical aspects of LDAP, but only where understanding the theory helps to answer practical questions. The reader requires no knowledge of OpenLDAP, but even readers already familiar with the technology will find new things and techniques. This book is organized into three major sections: the first section covers the basics of LDAP directory services and the OpenLDAP server; the second focuses on building directory services with OpenLDAP; in the third section of the book, we look at how OpenLDAP is integrated with other applications and services on the network. This book not only demystifies OpenLDAP, but gives System Administrators and Application Developers a solid understanding of how to make use of OpenLDAP's directory services.The OpenLDAP directory server is a mature product that has been around (in one form or another) since 1995. It is an open-source server that provides network clients with directory services. All major Linux distributions include the OpenLDAP server, and many major applications, both open-source and proprietary, are directory aware and can make use of the services provided by OpenLDAP.The OpenLDAP directory server can be used to store organizational information in a centralized location, and make this information available to authorized applications. Client applications connect to OpenLDAP using the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) and can then search the directory and (if they have appropriate access) modify and manipulate records. LDAP servers are most frequently used to provide network-based authentication services for users; but there are many other uses for an LDAP server, including using the directory as an address book, a DNS database, an organizational tool, or even as a network object store for applications.
Table of Contents (17 chapters)
Mastering OpenLDAP
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
Preface
Index

Configuring the LDAP Clients


In the last couple of sections we have focused exclusively on the SLAPD server. Now that the server is running we need to get the client configuration so that we can make test connections to the server.

Fortunately all of the OpenLDAP client programs share one common configuration file, ldap.conf, which is located in Ubuntu at /etc/ldap/ldap.conf (if you build from source, according to Appendix A, the default location for this file is /usr/local/etc/openldap/ldap.conf).

Other programs, such as those that use the OpenLDAP client libraries (like the PHP and Python LDAP APIs, may also use the ldap.conf file as a default location to retrieve basic configuration information.

Tip

Too Many ldap.conf Files

Occasionally, some Linux distributions will create two different ldap.conf files—one for OpenLDAP, and one for the PAM or NSS LDAP tools. This can lead to confusion about which ldap.conf file is used for which process. Ubuntu, however, gives the other packages distinctly...