Porting Active Directory objects to open source LDAP

Porting Active Directory objects to open source LDAP

I'm trying to reduce licensing fees as much as possible and Novell isn't quite what I'm looking for. I'd like to import/replicate all the Active Directory objects, users, groups, comps, servers, etc. to an open source LDAP repository hosted on a Linux box. I would then like to use this LDAP Server IN PLACE of the 2000/2003 AD Domain Controller. I'm wondering if this is possible to achieve and whether the LDAP servers be compatible with Windows clients. Are there any other issues with Kerberos authentification that I should be concerned with? Is there another Linux service to handle this and is it cross-compatible with both Win & *Nix PC's? If not, are there alternative authentications that are cross-compatible?

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You mention that you want to get away from Novell, but interestingly enough, your solution may be a Novell product. Novell has a product called OpenExchange Server, which is powerful and versatile enough to run on its SuSE Linux. It also works with all types of clients and, unlike other Windows products that are reliant on Active Directory and can't use LDAP, it actually uses LDAP, which is supported by Solaris, GNU/Linux, and FreeBS.

If you're not really looking for this type of e-mail solution, why not look at Novell's eDirectory LDAP solution? Here is the link. If you absolutely want to get away from Novell, here is a nice link for everything you want to know about OpenLDAP.

This was first published in May 2006