Appendix B: LDAP Resources

Open Source LDAP Software
LDAP API Implementations
Open Source LDAP Tools and Browsers
LDAP Web Sites
ASN.1 & OID Sites
Related Sites (e.g. Databases)

Open Source LDAP Software

The following links provide additional information about Open Source LDAP software.

Apache Directory Project

The Apache Directory project is a set of applications written in Java and consisting of an LDAPv3 server (with triggers, stored procedures, views and other capabilities more normally associated with the transactional DB world) and native support of Kerberos5, Password Change protocol and a modest DNS and DHCP capability. It comes with a fixed (currently) back-end (JDBM). The project also includes Apache Directory Studio which is a Java client (using the eclipse framework) optimized for use with Apache Directory Server. Runs on multiple platforms. Apache V 2.0 License.

Fedora Directory Server

The Fedora Directory Server project is part of the Fedora development sponsored by Red Hat. It is written in C and uses a 10 year old code base base (genus appears to be Michigan University -> Netscape Directory Server -> Rehhat Directory Server-> Fedora Directory Server) even though it has only recently been Open Sourced. Very ambitious set of functions - especially operational capabilities. Uses BDB (Berkeley Database) backend. *nix only platforms at this time. GPL.

OpenDS

The OpenDS project is written in Java and is a relatively new Directory Server project being developed under jav.net and seems largely led by Sun Microsystems. Very ambitious set of functions. Runs on multiple platforms. Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL).

OpenLDAP

The high-quality LDAP reference design originally based on the University of Michigan's work. Actively developed and widely implemented. GPL.

BIND APIs and Drivers

The following links provide information about LDAP API implemetation and libraries in a variety of languages.

Open Source LDAP Tools and Browsers

LDAPExplorerTool

LDAP browser - add, edit, delete or view records. Windows and Linux versions. Beta version (mid 2004) but very solid. No search feature. BSD license. Great for accessing rootDSE, subschema etc.

JXPlore

LDAP Java based browser - add, edit, delete or view records. Donated by CA. OSI license.

LDAP Browser/Editor

Java based LDAP browser - add, edit, delete, search or view records. LDIF support. Windows and Linux versions. No updates since 2001 but still very solid. Source available for educational uses only - not strictly Open Source but free. Could not access and browse subschema. Great search features.

phpLDAPadmin

Web based LDAP browser - add, edit, delete or view records. Written in PHP - mature and actively developed. GNU license. Very powerful.

LDAP Web sites

The following links provide information about LDAP or X.500:

www.bind9.net LDAP and DNS Resources

www.openldap.org LDAP Resources

www.idealx.org LDAP and SAMBA Resources (in french and english)

http://sec.cs.kent.ac.uk/x500book/ On-line book - Understanding X.500, D.W. Chadwick

ASN.1 & OID sites

The following links provide information about ASN.1 and OIDs:

asn1.elibel.tm.fr Marvellous site for ASN.1 information (English and French). Clunky ASN.1 OID interface.

http://www.oss.com/asn1/dubuisson.html Link to obtain Olivier Dubuisson's book ASN.1 - Communication between heterogeneous systems (English version available free in PDF format).

http://www.oss.com/asn1/larmouth.html Link to obtain Professor John Larmouth's book ASN.1 - ASN.1 Complete (English version available free in PDF format).

www.alvestrand.no/objectid/ Life saving site defines huge numbers of OIDs or use Google with search of 'oid x.x.x' and most of the time it will take you to this site. Fantastic work.

ASN.1 & BER 'A Layman's guide to a Subset od ASN.1, BER and DER' RSA Data Security Technical Note, Burton S. Kaliski, Jr. Primarily focussed at security - but mercifully short (36 pages) versus the Dubuisson and Larmouth books both of which are around the 500 page mark - but with clearly more complete coverage.