Getting started with ApacheDS - LDAP Server and Directory Studio - AMIS, Data Driven Blog

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Inspired by the work and some excellent blog articles by my colleague Maarten Smeets – and while writing about the LDAP Adapter in SOA Suite 12c for the Oracle SOA Suite 12c Handbook) I decided to give ApacheDS (LDAP Directory) a spin. This article lists the very basic steps for getting started with both the server side LDAP directory (on Linux) and the visual LDAP browser & editor on top that directory. A specific step I describe is the creation of a custom partition in the directory – in this case for Saibot Airport, the fictitious airport from the case on which the book is based.

Install ApacheDS LDAP server on Linux

Download ApacheDS for Linux (http://directory.apache.org/apacheds/downloads.html)

Run installer

Provide input to installer:

Run server

ApacheDS Directory Studio

Download the installer, in this case for my Windows host on which the Linux VM is running (http://directory.apache.org/studio/downloads.html):

Run installer and accept all defaults:

After successful installation, run Apache Directory Studio:

create a new connection – to the LDAP server we have just installed (ApacheDS on Linux)

Provide hostname (soa2admin2 for me – corresponding to IP 10.10.10.21) and (default) port 10389.

Set Bind DN or User to the value uid=admin,ou=system and Bind password to secret.

Press Check Authentication if you want to make sure (and I know I do):

Press Finish.

The LDAP directory browser is presented with the current contents of the (default, vanilla, out of the box) ApacheDS structure:

Note that a connection to the LDAP server is created as well.

Add a custom Partition

ApacheDS makes use of partitions: Each partition contains a complete entry tree, also referred to as a DIT. Multiple partitions may exist and the entry trees they contain are disconnected from each other, meaning that changes to entries in partition A would never affect entries in partition B. The entries in a particular partition are stored below some naming context called the partition suffix. The ApacheDS default configuration contains a a data partition with the suffix “dc=example,dc=com”. It’s possible to add custom partition implementations (also see https://directory.apache.org/apacheds/basic-ug/1.4.3-adding-partition.html).

Right click on the LDAP connection, to open the configuration:

Open the Partitions tab:

And click on the Add button. Add a new partition – ID=saibot, Suffix= o:saibot.airport.

Press the Save icon (or File | Save) to save the changed configuration – to the server side config file.

Restart the LDAP server to process the changed configuration:

Now the tree is refreshed with the new partition:

In this partition, we can now create users, organization units and the likes.

About Post Author

Lucas Jellema

Lucas Jellema, active in IT (and with Oracle) since 1994. Oracle ACE Director and Oracle Developer Champion. Solution architect and developer on diverse areas including SQL, JavaScript, Kubernetes & Docker, Machine Learning, Java, SOA and microservices, events in various shapes and forms and many other things. Author of the Oracle Press book Oracle SOA Suite 12c Handbook. Frequent presenter on user groups and community events and conferences such as JavaOne, Oracle Code, CodeOne, NLJUG JFall and Oracle OpenWorld.

lucas.jellema@amis.nl

https://www.amis.nl/