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OpenLDAP Workshop
Central Register
Today's OpenLDAP server was created by Kurt Zeilenga in 1998 as a clone of source code for the LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) server at the University of Michigan. Interestingly, the OpenLDAP project has never been dormant but has evolved constantly and is therefore still as progressive and groundbreaking as ever. However, strict enforcement of the numerous changes also puts off some users.
Usually, changes of elemental components in a version are marked as deprecated with an appropriate warning, indicating which functionality will no longer be available in the next version. Although this means ensuring progress for the project, for the administrator, it means always having to keep on your toes.
The OpenLDAP server has a long history in the Unix world. The beginnings of the project date back to 1998 when the issue of central user administration was only taken seriously in the enterprise environment. Small isolated solutions were then the basis for central user administration; directory servers were only available from major IT vendors. Older readers will perhaps smile when they think back to the beginnings of domain management on Windows NT, Novell Netware, or NIS.
A mature service was also available in the form of X.500, but it was not very widespread in practice. LDAP was originally designed as a protocol for X.500 services. This mutated into the LDAP directory servers that are seen in a variety of uses today.
What Is a Directory Server?
A directory server provides a container for information that can be queried via the LDAP protocol and matching clients. Some people compare this with a phone book, but the comparison is tenuous. Although an LDAP server can contain contact information for the company, it can also be enriched with additional information. Ultimately, however, the type of information is not specified, so the directory could accommodate a product
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