Libros UCLV { BETA }

The OpenLDAP directory server is a mature product that has been around (in one form or another) since 1995. All of the 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. And yet the OpenLDAP server seems to be shrouded in mystery, known and understood only by the gurus and hackers. This book is meant not only to demystify OpenLDAP, but to give the system administrator and software developer a solid understanding of how to make use, in the practical realm, of OpenLDAP’s directory services.

Directories tend to contain descriptive, attribute-based information and support sophisticated filtering capabilities. Directories generally do not support complicated transaction or roll-back schemes found in database management systems designed for handling high-volume complex updates. Directory updates are typically simple all-or-nothing changes, if they are allowed at all. Directories are generally tuned to give quick response to high-volume lookup or search operations. They may have the ability to replicate information widely in order to increase availability and reliability, while reducing response time. When directory information is replicated, temporary inconsistencies between the replicas may be okay, as long as inconsistencies are resolved in a timely manner.

A directory server supporting LDAPis required to run these examples. The examples should work with almost any LDAP-enabled directory server, except where noted prior to the example. This book is about getting the most from directory services, not installing and configuring all the directories on the market. Following are pointers to some of the more common directory servers available at the time of publication. Additionally, we include basic instructions for obtaining a special LDAPserver that has been preconfigured to work with the examples in this book.