Re: LDAP Clients Using DNS to Find LDAP Servers

momichael@hacemx.hac.com
Wed, 28 Aug 1996 19:19:15 -0700

Perhaps one possible solution would be to write an RFC for including
it as a data type for BOOTP and DHCP servers to respond with?

There are already entries for things like POP and IMAP mail servers,
default Web server, even NetWare/IP Domain SAP Server!

thanks
mark michael
architect, distributed computing infrastructure
hughes space and communications company information technology
e-mail mmichael@igate1.hac.com -- ph 310 364 6759 -- fax 310 416 6181
snail mail address
Mark O. Michael
Hughes Space and Communications Company
PO Box 92919 Mail Station SC S50 X366
Los Angeles CA 90009 USA
standard disclaimers apply

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: LDAP Clients Using DNS to Find LDAP Servers
Author: owner-ldap@terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu at LMSMIME
Date: 8/28/96 10:57 AM

The utility of a directory service for client/server
applications is that it allows clients to find servers.

But first the client has to find the directory service.
Putting the address of the LDAP server in a config file
or an environment variable does the job, but requires
that each client be individually configured or reconfigured
whenever server hosts/ports change.

Has anyone given any thought to using DNS to store the
location of LDAP servers, so that clients can look them
up that way? One way to do it would be to have a DNS
entry for an "LDAP Domain" that could have a TXT record
listing LDAP servers, possibly the subtrees they knew
about, and designating each server as a master or slave.

On the other hand, this still leaves the clients needing
to know what the name of the LDAP domain is, unless the
LDAP domain is the same as the default DNS domain for the
host, or its name can be derived from the default domain
(i.e. ldap.my.default.domain).

Will

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Will Hopkins Internet: hopkins@apollo.hp.com
Chelmsford System Software Lab (CSSL) Phone: (508) 436-4966
The Hewlett-Packard Company Fax: (508) 436-5140