Netscape Directory Server FAQs

Netscape Directory Server

Most Recent Version: 4.11 (as of: 5/2/2000)

Questions:

1) How do I set up LDAP 3.x?
2) How do I verify the server is serving up the data correctly?
3) How do I set up LDAP 4.11?
4) Where do I get an LDAP server?

Answers:

1) How do I set up LDAP 3.x?

When you login as administrator, you are using local credentials, not LDAP credentials. When you want to administer the LDAP accounts, you must login with an LDAP "identity" known as a Designated Name (DN). To define this DN, you must go to "Global Settings" and define the heirarchy by specifying:

Base DN:	o=organization
Bind DN:	cn=admin
Bind Password:	*******

This will log you in as user "cn=admin" to the heirarchy defined under "o=organization".

Users&Groups will fail with a "bad credentials" error unless you define a user (cn=admin) in the LDAP heirarchy. Unfortunately, I don't know how to add users without logging in first, so the only way I know of to do this is to create users with a separate client (eg AM client from Checkpoint).
Now you will be able to go to "Users&Groups", but you can't add users (insufficient access). You need to define an access rule for the cn=admin account. Go to Directory Server Config, "Access Control", and add new ACL. Default is deny all. Either change it to allow or add a rule for cn=admin.
You may have to say "clear text passwords"
You will get schema errors when interfacing with FW-1. Either turn off Schema Checking or import FW-1 schema (hint: look for an *.ldif file in the FW-1).
LDAP server MUST have DNS entry!!!

2) How do I verify the server is serving up the data correctly?
Use Netscape Communicator (not Navigator) 4.x or higher. The browser has built in support for LDAP requests. In the URL field, type:

ldap://<server FQDN>/o=<base DN>??sub

For more info on this format, see rfc1959.

3) How do I set up LDAP 4.11?
Install the server. Hit next a bunch of times until you see the ID of your server. You will see:

    Server: <hostname>
    port: 389
    suffix: o=<domain name>

Make any necessary changes. Keep going until you see:

Directory Manager DN: cn=Directory Manager

This is a very important account. You will want to remember this to access the LDAP database and add users/groups. Keep going. Make sure you "Disable Schema Checking."
Once installed & rebooted, you should be able to access the LDAP database from a LDAP client like Check Point's AMC client using the DN "cn=Directory Manager."

4) Where do I get an LDAP server?
Check out http://www.iplanet.com/downloads/download/index.html

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