Ldap

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
LDAP stands for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol and is a networking protocol for searching and modifying directory services.

For example: LDAP can be used to access user information that is stored in a directory services server (a database of user details such as name, permissions, e-mail address). That information may include user data and permissions for a complex website, or collaborative address book data.


 * E-mail users would use LDAP to access a directory service to search for a user's e-mail address.
 * Web application developers would use LDAP in their application designs to centrally store and retrieve authorized user information stored in a directory service via LDAP. Why?  The benefit of a central directory service (user database) is that several web applications could all save time and resources by sharing the same user data.

To be clear, LDAP is just a common protocol to access data that is stored in a central directory services server (database). There are many different directory services servers such as (slapd, IBM Lotus Domino Directory, Microsoft Active Directory, Mozilla Open Directory Project, Novell eDirectory, and others WikiPedia Directory Service)

Many e-mail address book (like Apple's included "Address Book".app) have built-in LDAP support.

Getting Started with LDAP
The objective of this page is to collect information which could lead to a shared hosting implementation of LDAP for your DreamHost account. If you have expertise you could share - please do!

Some starting points:


 * http://www.howtoforge.com/linux_ldap_authentication
 * http://phpldapadmin.sourceforge.net/

Vote for LDAP Feature Requests / Suggestion(s)
Also, if you would like to see LDAP support added to your DreamHost account, you can vote for LDAP support in the Suggestions section of the Control Panel

LDAP on a DreamHost PS Server?
Currently, DreamHost would prefer that you do not run {some/all?} directory servers such as OpenLDAP on DreamHost shared servers because of the CPU load (Persistent Processes). This may be a good reason for you to choose a DreamHost PS (DreamHost Private Server) server.

LDAP & Directory Services Shopping List for DH

 * Directory services database (database and administration interface)
 * LDAP server: ldap.mydomain.com (a compliment to SMTP, POP, IMAP support mail.mydomain.com)
 * Webmail client would need to support LDAP for e-mail addressing
 * LDAP libraries, toolkits, etc for developers to implement LDAP support in their web applications
 * LDAP-ify apps in the Control Panel Goodies > One Click Installs list.