Using LDAP to Access an Existing User Database

Ipswitch Instant Messaging (IIM) can leverage an existing LDAP user database to authenticate Ipswitch IM users.  This will prevent you from having to enter and maintain user data in multiple locations.

To use an existing LDAP database for user authentication:

Note: Configure Ipswitch IM to access an LDAP user database requires specific connection information about the LDAP server.  If you do not know this information, contact the LDAP server administrator.

1. Open Ipswitch IM Server Manager by selecting Start > Programs > Ipswitch IM Server > Ipswitch IM Server Manager.
2. Select the General category.
3. Select LDAP from Authentication Database, then click Configure. The LDAP Configuration dialog appears.
4. In Server Name, enter the hostname of your LDAP server.
5. In Port Number, enter the number of the port your LDAP server monitors for queries.  For most LDAP configurations, the default value of 389 will work.
6. Click Use SSL if you want LDAP queries to be encrypted using Secure Sockets Layer.  Your LDAP server must be configured to accept SSL connections for this option to work.
7. In User Authorize DN, enter the portion of the LDAP schema to use for user authentication.
8. In User Search DN, enter the portion of the LDAP schema to use as a root for finding users.
9. In User Search Filter (All Users), enter the search string to use to return all users.
10. In User Search Filter (Single User), enter the search string to use to return one specific user.
11. In the Remote Import List Context section, enter a Username and Password of any user in the LDAP database.  This information will be used to authenticate any requests by remote servers to import the local user database.  
12. Click Test. The LDAP Test Account dialog appears.
13. Enter the Account Name and Password of any user on the LDAP server, then click OK.  The results of the test are displayed.
14. Make any necessary corrections to the configuration information, then click Test again. If your test completed without errors, click OK to save the configuration and exit the LDAP Configuration dialog.

Sample Configurations

Microsoft LDAP/Active Directory Server Sample Configuration

• Server Name
  ldapserver.ipswitch.com
• Port number
  389
• User Authorize DN
  sAMAccountName=%s,CN=Users,DC=ipswitch,DC=com
• User Search DN
  CN=Users,DC=ipswitch,DC=com
• User Search Filter (All Users)
  (&(|(objectClass=user)(objectClass=person))(!description=built-in*))
• LDAP User Search Filter (Single User)
  (&(|(objectClass=user)(objectClass=person))(!description=built-in*))(sAMAccountName=%s))

Ipswitch IMail Server LDAP Sample Configuration

• Server Name
  imailserver.ipswitch.com
• Port number
  389
• User Authorize DN
  uid=%s,ou=People,o=imailserver.ipswitch.com
• User Search DN
  ou=People,o=imailserver.ipswitch.com
• User Search Filter (All Users)
  (|(objectClass=user)(objectClass=person))
• LDAP User Search Filter (Single User)
  (&(|(objectClass=user)(objectClass=person))(uid=%s))

Using LDAP with Non-standard Mappings

If your user database contains unusual or non-standard field names, you can still use the database to authenticate Ipswitch IM users by modifying the Ipswitch IM Server mapping data in the Windows registry.

Note: Changing the standard field mappings requires editing the Windows registry. You should always back-up your registry before modifying it directly.

To modify the mapping data:

1. Open the windows Registry Editor by selecting Start > Run and entering regedit.  Click OK.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Ipswitch\Messenger Server\Settings\LDAP.
3. Modify the registry strings to match your configuration, then exit the Registry Editor.

The keys that can be modified include:

• LDAP Mapping (DisplayName) is the name of the LDAP attribute you want to map to the DisplayName attribute in Ipswitch IM.  If you are using Ipswitch IMail Server LDAP, change this value to CN.
• LDAP Mapping (EMAIL) is the name of the LDAP attribute you want to map to the Email attribute in Ipswitch IM.
• LDAP Mapping (Username) is the name of the LDAP attribute you want to map to the Username attribute in Ipswitch IM.  
  • For using Ipswitch IMail Server LDAP, change this value to UID.
  • For using Active Directory, change this value to sAMAccountName.
• LDAP Mapping (WebSite) is the name of the LDAP attribute you want to map to the WebSite attribute in Ipswitch IM.

Other registry keys are more easily modified through the LDAP Configuration dialog (accessible by clicking the Configure button on the Ipswitch IM Server Manager's General category).

Related Topics

General (Settings)

Using a Windows NT User Database

Using an Ipswitch IMail Server User Database