Mastering OpenLDAP: Configuring, Securing and Integrating Directory Services

Authenticating Users to the Directory

As we have seen earlier in the book, OpenLDAP supports two different methods of binding (or authenticating) to the directory. The first is to use simple binding. The second is to use SASL binding. In this part we will look at each of these two methods of authentication.

It is not necessary to choose one or the other. OpenLDAP can be configured to do both, at which point it is up to the client as to which method will be used. Simple binding is easier to configure (there is very little configuration that must be done). But SASL is more secure and more flexible, though these benefits come at the cost of added complexity.

The basics of the bind operation and the authentication process are covered early in Chapter ...