Re: Apologies in Advance

[Daniell Freed <dxf@dewittross.net>]

You are incorrect about a few of the comments you made below.  I agree with
you that it is closed source and that makes it less desirable, but the
latest version of the Netscape (IPlanet actually is what it is called
now) Directory Server as several features that Openldap does not. Also, the
Netscape servers are much faster than the Openldap servers (at least from
the benchmarks that I saw a while back in Network Computing magazine),
these benchmarks may be from a 1.x series Openldap, I can't remember for
sure.

Netscape's server comes with :

A Java based configuration tool (like all of there servers) that works
really well and lets you administer your directory as well as all of the
config files.

Support for things like ACL's existing in the database itself (so they can
be changed without restarting the server an setup on an entry by entry
basis if you want)

The schema supposedly can be changed via ldapmod calls, but I haven't
figured out how to do this yet.

They support server side sorting of ldapsearch calls.

They offer tech support although at an extra cost.

They do have several usenet lists, that vary in usefulness.

Replication doesn't cost extra, their license is based on the number of
users not the number of servers (if I am remembering this correctly).

There are probably some other things.

All that said, it is a very expensive alternative and unless you plan to
take advantage of one of these differences it probably isn't worth the
money.  We use it for our user database, but only because we use Netscape's
Mail server as well and it came free with that.  I do use openldap for a
contacts based directory (or I am planning on it since I am still not quit
finished with it yet).

It is a good product, but you really need to evaluate what you are going to
be using it for in order to justify the cost.

--
Daniell Freed
Computer Services
Dewitt, Ross, & Stevens S.C.

He who fights with monsters might take care
lest he thereby become a monster.
And if you gaze for long into an abyss,
the abyss gazes also into you.

Beyond Good and Evil
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzche

Tomas Maly wrote:

> My manager has got a copy and he might have the intention to deploy it,
> but he's an NT guy, so commercial software is a habit for him. Any way,
> the IT Lead won't let any deployment of that occur because 1) It's
> closed-source. Updates cost money and/or happen very few times. One can
> get an update for OpenLDAP once the developers please to announce it. 2)
> There are at least two full-blown open-source LDAP servers, so the open
> source versions aren't any less functional than commercial 3) Tech
> support is $$$ and usually not helpful unless you talk to the engineers,
> which you sure won't with any commercial software. If OpenLDAP is broken
> or has a bug, email the developer and he'll gladly help you out. Plus
> there are who-knows how many mailing lists for OpenLDAP, and probably
> few for any commercial version. 4) You're stuck with the risks of
> proprietary software, and the mentality of "we've paid $$$ already for
> it, so we're not wasting it, and so we are gonna use it", despite any
> reason why it may or may not be good software.... 5) Replication costs
> $$$$. Slave servers no doubt cost more money than one server....Look at
> the licensing costs. Yowzer. I wouldn't bother with it.
>
> Celine Murphy wrote:
> >
> > Has anyone ever used the Netscape Directory Server??
>
> --
> Tomas Maly
> "IT Freak"
> MontaVista Software
> (408) 328-8429
> tmaly@mvista.com