Understanding LDAP (part 2) - Link Zone
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And that's about it for the moment. In this two-part article, I first took you through a crash course in LDAP theory, explaining the LDAP information model and showing you how LDAP directory entries are structured. I also explained LDAP's object-oriented characteristics, and showed you the basics of dissecting and using a schema definition when creating directory entries.

With the theory out of the way, I then proceeded to a quick-and-dirty implementation of the OpenLDAP software suite, demonstrating how to compile and install the software, initialize the LDAP directory, and use the supplied client tools to add, edit and remove entries from the LDAP directory. I also showed you the basics of searching the LDAP directory using a variety of different filters and expressions, and guided you through the process of hooking your LDAP-aware mail client to the LDAP directory to simplify searching for user contact information.

Of course, all this is just the tip of the iceberg. LDAP is a vast and complex topic, and there are still many miles to traverse before you can claim to be reasonably adept in the subject. Here are a few links to help in this process:

The LDAP specifications, at http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1777.txt and http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2251.txt

LDAP schemas and object classes, at http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2256.txt

The offical OpenLDAP Web site, at http://www.openldap.org/

An Introduction To LDAP, at http://staff.pisoftware.com/bmarshal/publications/intro_ldap/index.htm

The LDAP HOW-TO, at http://staff.pisoftware.com/bmarshal/publications/intro_ldap/index.htm

A list of public LDAP servers by country, at http://www.emailman.com/ldap/public.html

LDAP Central, at http://www.ldapcentral.net/

That's about it from me. I hope you enjoyed this article, and that you learnt something from it. Until next time...be good!

Note: Examples are illustrative only, and are not meant for a production environment. Melonfire provides no warranties or support for the source code described in this article. YMMV!

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