Deploying OpenLDAP

Rating:
Summary: modern overview of ldap
Review: I've read some of the other LDAP books out there and have always complained that they are a bit dated. This book covers modern features of LDAP, reinforces the standards, and is easy to read.

This book covers more recent RFC's that are typically not even mentioned in other references. It also encompasses both commercial and open source solutions to problems of scaling, standards, and interoperability.

Multiple solutions to problems are given for your benefit. Multiple programming languages are covered to make this a complete reference.

Rating:
Summary: Great reference on LDAP deployment
Review: This is a great overview that covers all the necessary components of an LDAP deployment, whether you use OpenLDAP or any other implementation. Tom Jackiewicz covers everything from the management decisions necessary before you start your deployment, to the schema, directory information tree, and then goes on to more details topics on the installation and API. This is a fast paced book and covers in just a few pages what other books fill with useless garbage and repetition.

Rating:
Summary: Very solid introduction
Review: This is a very solid, end-to-end walkthrough of installing, configuring and using OpenLDAP. Client code comes in a number of languages; C/C++, Java and Perl. The text is well written and very easy to follow. My only complaints are the graphics are used a little too sparingly. And I would have like to have seen more emphasis on LDAP policy, as opposed to the straight technical information presented.

Minor complaints aside, this is an excellent introduction to OpenLDAP for IT engineers looking to deploy it.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Introductory Reference
Review: Tom Jackiewicz's "Deploying OpenLDAP" provides a good introductory reference to the world of the LDAP administrator, and has a few gems not seen in previous works. While this book contains the usual discussions on compiling and installing the OpenLDAP server, as well as some sample code using implementations of the LDAP API in various languages, it sets itself apart with its detailed treatment of mundane but critical topics such as the LDAP Schema (with reference material on hard-to-find information like a listing of every attribute syntax code and what it means), as well as thoughtful best practices advice. While this is not "the only LDAP book you'll ever need" (there is no such thing, and probably never will be -- the topic is way too broad and ever-changing), it is a valuable compilation that can be recommended for every directory admin's library.

Rating:
Summary: Much better than X.500/X.400
Review: Whatever happened to the glorious dreams for X.500 and X.400? Roughly speaking, as explained in the book, they were found by many to be simply too cumbersome and overreaching. LDAP and its latest incarnation as OpenLDAP, has largely supplanted X.500 in terms of actual implementation. I recommend the book's Introduction as a succinct history of how LDAP arose in the 90s. It summarises the many RFCs that went out for it and X.500. Gradually, we see the convergence to today's state of affairs. Which the rest of the book explains in detail.

Amusingly, we find that at one point, the X.500 proponents were expecting it to supplant TCP/IP!? Such amazing conceit. Well, LDAP blew it away.

You get advice on installing OpenLDAP. Which is actually pretty straightforward. An experienced sysadmin will not have any problems here. Then there follow several chapters on running it and also writing code to program it. OpenLDAP comes with an API that does require some explanations. Luckily, the API can be accessed via calls in several languages like C and Java. Perl examples are also supplied. The author is commendably ecumenical about supplying example code in several languages. In keeping with the open source spirit of this project.