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Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services > 12. Choosing Directory Products > Directory Software Options

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Directory Software Options

In the first part of this chapter we looked at product selection in an abstract way without referring specifically to any real products. In this section we briefly present information on some of the directory products available at the time of this writing. Because directory software is part of an emerging and changing portion of the software market, you should consult other sources in addition to this book when locating products to ensure that you don't overlook any newcomers or recently upgraded products.

We divide our survey of LDAP directory software into three general categories, which are discussed in the following sections:

  • Directory server software

  • Directory-enabled applications

  • SDKs

Directory Server Software

A wide variety of directory server software that speaks LDAP is available, ranging from commercial software to freeware. Some of these products, of course, are better suited to certain kinds of directory-enabled applications than others, and we attempt to capture that information in the "Focus" item listed with each product's entry.

It is worth noting that the NOS directories (Novell Directory Services and Microsoft Active Directory) are more narrowly focused than many of the others. If you need a great directory service for your NOS, one of those two products is a good choice; if you do not, you should look elsewhere.

DSSeries LDAP Directory 1.1

Vendor:   IBM

Overview:   An LDAPv2 directory server for IBM's AIX operating system, with some support for LDAPv3. Also supports some strong security features (through SSL) and replication.

Focus:   Extranets

For more information:   Connect to IBM's DSSeries Web site at http://www.software.ibm.com/ts/dsseries/.

Global Directory Server (GDS)

Vendor:   ISOCOR

Overview:   An X.500(93) “based directory server that also supports LDAPv2. Directory synchronization capabilities that work with GDS also available from ISOCOR.

Focus:   Large intranets

Significant features:   X.500 standards compliance and directory synchronization tools

For more information:   Connect to ISOCOR's GDS Web site at www.isocor.com/products/gds.html.

Innosoft Distributed Directory Server (IDDS) version 4.3

Vendor:   Innosoft

Overview:   A native LDAPv3 directory server that supports features such as strong security (through TLS).

Focus:   Intranets

Significant features:   Standards compliance and security

For more information:   Connect to Innosoft's IDDS Web site at http://www3.innosoft.com/idds-descript.html.

Internet Directory Server (IDS) 3.0

Vendor:   Lucent Technologies

Overview:   A native LDAPv3 directory server that supports features such as strong security (through SSL), replication, dynamic entries, and password policy management.

Focus:   Large intranets, extranets, and ISPs

Significant features:   Support for telephony, performance, and scalability

For more information:   Connect to Lucent's IDS Web site at http://www.lucent.com/netsys/internetservers/ids/ids.html.

LDAP/X.500 Enterprise Directory Server

Vendor:   ISODE

Overview:   An X.500(93) “based directory server that also supports LDAP.

Focus:   Large intranets

Significant features:   X.500 standards compliance, scalability, and performance

For more information:   Connect to ISODE's products Web site at http://www.isode.com/products.html.

Netscape Directory Server 4.0

Vendor:   Netscape Communications

Overview:   A native, general-purpose LDAPv3 directory server that supports advanced features such as the LDAPv3 Virtual List View extension, full international capabilities, strong security (through SSL), replication, and password policy management.

Focus:   Large intranets, extranets, ISPs, and ESPs

Significant features:   Open standards compliance, performance, scalability, security, multiplatform support

For more information:   Connect to Netscape's Directory and Security Products site at http://home.netscape.com/directoryseurity/.

Novell Directory Services 4.0

Vendor:   Novell

Overview:   A powerful directory service integrated with NetWare. Advanced features including multi-master replication and the ability to very widely distribute the directory among servers. LDAP supported via a low-performance gateway.

Focus:   NetWare NOSs

Significant features:   Powerful, easy-to-use administration tools, NetWare integration, and large installed base

For more information:   Connect to Novell's NDS Web site at http://www.novell.com/products/nds/.

OpenDirectory Dxserver

Vendor:   OpenDirectory

Overview:   An X.500(93) “based directory server that also supports LDAPv2.

Focus:   Large intranets

Significant features:   X.500 standards compliance and scalability

For more information:   Connect to the OpenDirectory Web site at http://www.opendirectory.com/.

Rialto Global Directory Server

Vendor:   Control Data

Overview:   An X.500(93) “based directory server that also supports LDAP.

Focus:   Large intranets

Significant features:   X.500 standards compliance and directory synchronization

For more information:   Connect to Control Data's Rialto directories Web site at http://www.cdc.com/products/directories.html.

SLAPD

Vendor:   University of Michigan and others

Overview:   An LDAPv2 directory server that is freely available in source code form. Some groups working on adding support for LDAPv3.

Focus:   Intranets

Significant features:   First standalone LDAP directory server, free, multiple platforms, and source code

For more information:   Connect to the University of Michigan LDAP Web site at http://www.umich.edu/~dirsvcs/ldap/#servers. Some SLAPD projects were recently started within the free software community as well; connect to http://www.is.kiruna.se/~goran/ldap/ and http://www.openldap.org for more information.

Sun Directory Services 1.0

Vendor:   Sun Microsystems

Overview:   A native LDAPv2 directory server for the Solaris operating system.

Focus:   Intranets

For more information:   Connect to the Sun Directory Services Web site at http://www.sun.com/ solstice /telecom/LDAP.html.

Windows NT Server 5.0 Active Directory

Vendor:   Microsoft

Overview:   An LDAPv3 directory service that will be integrated with the Microsoft Windows NT Server 5.0 operating system. Advanced features including multimaster replication and support for dynamic entries.

Focus:   Intranets and Windows NT NOSs

Significant features:   Domain Name System (DNS) integration and Windows 98 and Windows NT integration

For more information:   Connect to Microsoft's Active Directory Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/NTServer/Basics/Future/ActiveDirectory/default.asp.

Directory-Enabled Applications

Hundreds of directory-enabled software applications are available from dozens of different sources. The different kinds of applications available include

  • Web browsers that understand LDAP URLs.

  • Electronic mail clients that support LDAP searches and LDAP-based address books.

  • General-purpose directory browsers, many of which support adding and modifying entries as well.

  • HTML-based end user and directory administration interfaces. These can often be easily customized to fit site-specific needs.

  • Server applications, such as electronic mail servers, Web servers, and security servers.

To give you a taste of the different kinds of applications that are available, we list a few of the major vendors and describe some of the LDAP applications they produce.

Microsoft

Overview:   Microsoft's Outlook and Outlook Express email clients can use LDAP to query remote address books and Internet directories. Microsoft's NetMeeting product uses LDAP to arrange a user-to-user rendezvous. Over time you can expect to see many of Microsoft's products become LDAP-aware.

For more information:   Connect to Microsoft's products Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/products/.

Netscape Communications

Overview:   Nearly all of Netscape's products are LDAP-aware. The email client included in Netscape's Communicator browser suite can use LDAP to query remote address books and Internet directories. Netscape's high-performance security, Web, application, electronic commerce, and messaging servers are all LDAP-enabled. Netscape Directory Server includes a customizable HTML LDAP gateway that can be used for end user and administrative tasks .

For more information:   Connect to Netscape's products Web site at http://home.netscape.com/products/.

Oblix

Overview:   Oblix specializes in directory management and publishing tools. Its Corporate Services Automation product line provides a set of Web-based interfaces for managing employee information that is stored in an LDAP server. It provides nifty features such as visual organization charts that are created based on information stored in an LDAP directory.

For more information:   Connect to Oblix's Web site at http://www.oblix.com/.

University of Michigan

Overview:   All the LDAP software developed by the University of Michigan is free, and source code is generally available as well. Available LDAP client software includes: full-featured LDAP clients for Microsoft Windows (waX.500), X-Windows (xax500), and Macintosh (maX.500); an email delivery agent called mail500; and a variety of gateways to older information delivery systems such as finger and gopher.

For more information:   Connect to the University of Michigan LDAP client Web page at http://www.umich.edu/~dirsvcs/ldap/ldclients.html.

SDKs

A variety of libraries and tools is available for developing LDAP applications. These SDKs are generally inexpensive, and in many cases they are available free of charge. To protect your programming investment, we recommend that you code to one of the developing standard LDAP APIs for C or Java. A variety of proprietary APIs are supported by the SDK vendors. Chapters 20 and 21 discuss SDKs in greater detail.

In the following sections, we describe some of the most popular LDAP SDKs.

Active Directory Services Interface (ADSI)

Vendor:   Microsoft

Overview:   A collection of COM objects for Microsoft Windows that provide a unified interface for accessing a variety of directories, including LDAP directories. A DLL that conforms to the RFC 1823 and IETF draft LDAPv3 APIs also included with ADSI.

For more information:   Connect to Microsoft's SDK Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/msdn/sdk/.

Innosoft LDAP Client SDK (ILC-SDK)

Vendor:   Innosoft

Overview:   C dynamic libraries that conform to RFC 1823 and IETF draft LDAPv3 C API. Supported platforms include AIX, Digital UNIX, Solaris, OpenVMS, and Windows NT.

For more information:   Connect to Innosoft's ILC-SDK Web site at http://www.innosoft.com/iii/company/ldap-sdk.html.

Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI)

Vendor:   JavaSoft (Sun Microsystems)

Overview:   A standard Java extension that provides a unified interface for accessing a variety of directories, including LDAP directories.

For more information:   Connect to JavaSoft's JNDI Web site at http://java.sun.com/products/jndi/.

LDAP-X

Vendor:   Boldon James

Overview:   A set of Microsoft Windows ActiveX controls that comprise a tool kit for constructing LDAP applications.

For more information:   Connect to Boldon James's LDAP-X Web site at http://www.bj.co.uk/ldapx.htm.

Netscape Directory SDK for C

Vendor:   Netscape Communications

Overview:   C dynamic libraries that conform to RFC 1823 and IETF draft LDAPv3 C API and include support for the LDAPv3 extensions supported by Netscape Directory Server. A complete set of LDAP command-line tools also provided. Supported platforms include most major UNIX flavors; Windows 95, 98, and NT; and Macintosh PowerPC. Source code available under the terms of the Netscape Public License.

For more information:   Connect to Netscape's Directory Developer Central Web site at http://developer.netscape.com/tech/directory/. For access to the LDAP C SDK source code, connect to the mozilla.org Web site at http://www.mozilla.org/directory.

Netscape Directory SDK for Java

Vendor:   Netscape Communications

Overview:   A set of Java classes that conform to the IETF draft LDAPv3 Java API. A complete set of LDAP command-line tools also provided with the SDK. Source code available under the terms of the Netscape Public License.

For more information:   Connect to Netscape's Directory Developer Central Web site at http://developer.netscape.com/tech/directory/. For access to the Java LDAP SDK source code, connect to the mozilla.org Web site at http://www.mozilla.org/directory/.

PerLDAP Modules for Perl

Vendor:   Clayton Donley and Netscape Communications

Overview:   A set of modules written in C and Perl that allow Perl programmers to create LDAP applications. Source code also available under the terms of the Mozilla Public License.

For more information:   Connect to Netscape's Directory Developer Central Web site at http://developer.netscape.com/tech/directory/. For access to the PerLDAP source code, connect to the mozilla.org Web site at http://www.mozilla.org/directory/.

University of Michigan LDAP C SDK

Vendor:   University of Michigan

Overview:   C libraries that conform to RFC 1823 (no support for LDAPv3). A complete set of LDAP command-line tools also provided. Supported platforms include most major UNIX flavors, Windows 95 and NT, and Macintosh. Source code is also available. (This SDK is part of the general University of Michigan LDAP 3.3 software release.)

For more information:   Connect to the University of Michigan LDAP Web site at http://www.umich.edu/~dirsvcs/ldap/.



Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services,  2002 New Riders Publishing
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Index terms contained in this section

ADSI
applications
          directory-enabled
                    Microsoft
                    Netscape Communications
                    Oblix
                    University of Michigan
          SDKs
                    ADSI
                    Innosoft LDAP Client SDK
                    JNDI
                    LDAP-X
                    Netscape Directory SDK for C
                    Netscape Directory SDK for Java
                    PerlDAP Modules for Perl
                    University of Michigan LDAP C SDK
directories
          applications
                    Microsoft
                    Netscape Communications
                    Oblix
                    SDKs 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
                    University of Michigan
          software
                    DSSeries LDAP Directory 1.1
                    Global Directory Server (GDS)
                    Innosoft Distributed Directory Server (IDDS)
                    Internet Directory Server (IDS) 3.0
                    LDAP/X.500 Enterprise Directory Server
                    Microsoft Active Directory
                    Netscape Directory Server 4.0
                    Novell Directory Services 4.0
                    OpenDirectory Dxserver
                    Rialto Global Directory Server
                    SLAPD
                    Sun Directory Services 1.0
DSSeries LDAP Directory 1.1
Global Directory Server (GDS)
Innosoft Distributed Directory Server (IDDS)
Internet Directory Server (IDS) 3.0
JNDI
LDAP-X SDK
LDAP/X.500 Enterprise Directory Server
Microsoft
          directory-enabled applications
Netscape Communications
          directory-enabled applications
Netscape Directory SDK for C
Netscape Directory SDK for Java
Netscape Directory Server 4.0
Novell Directory Services 4.0
Oblix
          directory-enabled applications
PerlDAP Modules for Perl SDK
Rialto Global Directory Server
SDKs
          directory applications
                    ADSI
                    Innosoft LDAP Client SDK
                    JNDI
                    LDAP-X
                    Netscape Directory SDK for C
                    Netscape Directory SDK for Java
                    PerlDAP Modules for Perl
                    University of Michigan LDAP C SDK
SLAPD
software
          directory
                    DSSeries LDAP Directory 1.1
                    Global Directory Server (GDS)
                    Innosoft Distributed Directory Server (IDDS)
                    Internet Directory Server (IDS) 3.0
                    LDAP/X.500 Enterprise Directory Server
                    Microsoft Active Directory
                    Netscape Directory Server 4.0
                    Novell Directory Services 4.0
                    OpenDirectory Dxserver
                    Rialto Global Directory Server
                    SLAPD
                    Sun Directory Services 1.0
Sun Directory Services 1.0
University of Michigan
          directory-enabled applications
University of Michigan LDAP C SDK

2002, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.



Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services
Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services (2nd Edition)
ISBN: 0672323168
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 1997
Pages: 245

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