LDAP Authentication on Windows Server

 Starting in 3.6, ProVision supports LDAP authentication (including Windows Server!). To setup an LDAP server for authentication, you must perform the following procedures:

Configuring the LDAP functions on your Windows Server

You should confirm these steps with your LDAP admin - the purpose of this walkthrough is to provide some level of detail on how to extend LDAP functionality to support integration with an application like ProVision.

Step 1: Prepare to extend the Schema (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc961754.aspx)

This is not a minor operation and requires interaction with various control modification areas of Windows Server:

• If you have not modified the schema before, you will need to use the Active Directory Schema console on a DC (Domain Controller) to permit write access to the DC schema.
• Since the schema object has dedicated permissions, admins must be a member of the Schema Administrator group (Schema Admins).
• Note that the DC that is holding the Schema Master Role is the only one allowed to write to it.

Step 2: Decide on method for Installing/executing Schema Extensions (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc961742.aspx)

If you have already used other AD integrations, this should be straightforward. We recommend using the LDIF script method

Step 3: Add and Modify a Schema Object (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc961575.aspx)

To add a new attribute to the schema, you first have to create a attribute object. The you will need to complete the following steps:

• Select a name for the attribute (ProVision assumes that the name will be 'sixConnGroup')
• Get a valid Object Identifier (OID) from an issuing authority (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms677620.aspx)

  • Generate an Object Identifier

    Microsoft has released a script that can generate an Object Identifier (OID): https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/56b78004-40d0-41cf-b95e-6e795b2e8a06

• Document the attribute syntax
• Confirm that the attribute should be single-value
• Confirm the attribute indexing behavior
• Decide if the attribute needs to be distributed to the Global Catalog

LDAP Schema - Example

attributetype (1.3.6.1.4.1.5023215.2.3.21 NAME 'sixConnGroup' SYNTAX 1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.15 ) objectclass ( 1.3.6.1.4.1.5023215.2.4.2 NAME 'sixConnectPermissionsV2' DESC '6Connect Permissions Object v2' SUP top AUXILIARY MUST ( sixConnGroup ) )

LDAP User Example

SSH into your openLDAP server and create a new 'ldif' file.  Example:

dn: cn=JoeSmith,ou=people,dc=6connect,dc=com
cn: JoeSmith
sn: JoeSmith
objectclass: top
objectclass: person
objectclass: sixConnectPermissionsV2
sixConnGroup: "Global Admins"
sixConnGroup: "IT Engineering"
sixConnGroup: "Sales"
sixConnGroup: "Customer Admin"
userPassword: testpass

 To create a new user, make a new ldif file and change all instances of "JoeSmith" to whatever username you wish to create and update the password.  Keep all of the object class definitions as listed above.  Add a sixConnGroup declaration for each ProVision user group a user is in.

 After the file is created, run the following command to add the new user to LDAP server:

 ldapadd -h [SERVER] -x -f [LDIF FILE] -D [ROOTDN] -w [ROOT PW] -v

 Example:

 ldapadd -h localhost -x -f 6connect.ldif -D "cn=Manager,dc=6connect,dc=com" -w secret -v

The user will now be active in openLDAP and can be used to login to ProVision.

Test the LDAP Server

To query the LDAP server, run the following command on any server which has openLDAP enabled:

ldapsearch -b [BASE] -h [IPADDRESS] -D [DOMAIN] -w [PASSWORD] [USER]

Note:  We have not been able to use a v6 address at with this tool, even though multiple sources say it should work.

At the end of the command where [USER] is specified, user or groups can be used (in LDAP format) to query.

Example: 

ldapsearch -b "dc=6connect,dc=com" -h 50.240.195.129 -D "cn=Mayor,ou=people,dc=6connect,dc=com" -w testpass "cn=MajorMiner"

Configure ProVision for LDAP Authentication 

To configure the use of LDAP authentication with ProVision, follow the steps below.

• Log into 6connect ProVision
• Go to Admin -> General Settings -> Authentication
• Click the LDAP Enable checkbox.
• Fill in the hostname or ip address, authentication port, LDAP Security, Auth DN, and Fetch DN.  
  

Example values in this case would be: 

LDAP Enable: (Checked)

LDAP Server Address:  52.240.195.12

LDAP Port:  389 ( or SSL/TLS port is 636)

LDAP Security:  None

LDAP Auth DN:  cn=%LOGIN%,ou=people,dc=6connect,dc=com

LDAP Fetch DN:  cn=%LOGIN%