1. NIS overview Centralized user/password pool Before LDAP. NIS: ypcat passwd reveals shadow password to “John the dictionary cracker”. NIS OK in a trusted system(IAA). Master / slaves working fine. NIS is easy to manage and maintain. Very robust commands for years. Graphics tool(system-config-users) ready.

2. Why ldap after all the good’o years Openldap(lightweight directory access protocol) ready on Linux/Solaris. subset of complex X. 500 protocol. Sun ONE, Microsoft AD. Novell E-directory. Linux openldap. Centralized database of information. Database backends to choose from. User right authorization. ACL for password. Management GUI (ldap adminstrator($$$), phpldapadmin, ldapbrowser(tiara/hilo))fine. Must use crypt as password hash function. /etc/* migration tools ready. slapd/slurpd (master /slave) structure as NIS. Solaris native ldap client support buggy. recompile openldap client on Sun.

3. Applications support for ldap PKI : an introduction. Self-signed CA. Openldap plus openradius for wireless Lan and VPN authentication. Single sign-on power. Email(revolution, etc) address book lookup and authentication. Web user sign-on. Printer name/ip. Automount. Ldaps: TLS/SSL provides strong security(client can also use certificate to claim itself). Default is cleartext!

4. Windows/Mac users Do we really need it? Active Direcotry seems better suited for M$. Ldap for Mac OK. Add-on applications P-gina to talk to ldap server Samba as public domain controller. Popular among “poor” MIS unit. account transition tools to openldap account ready. needs to create all new accounts.

5. Plan Coexist with NIS servers for current uids for transition period. Ldap is I/O bound, not cpu intensive. Araid 2600 for OS/data. Plus a slave. AD for MS Windows. Environment mature. Openldap HA(highly available)? Ldap very complicated. Learn by doing.