RE: use of DNS SRV records for LDAP server location?

[Ryan Moats <jayhawk@att.com>]

> RFC 2052, and Experimental RFC, specifies a method for clients to use DNS
> SRV queries to locate hosts providing named services.
> draft-ietf-dnsind-rfc2052bis-02.txt, which I think is intended to be
> Standards Track, updates this slightly.  It is my understanding that
> Windows 2000 clients rely on this mechanism to find their LDAP servers
> (ie, Win2K domain controllers).  I'm curious whether any other LDAP
> clients implement this, and if so whether anyone knows of deployments that
> use it.
>
> If there were consensus that this is a recommended mechanism for clients
> to find servers then presumably writing this down somewhere, either in a
> revised 2251 or in a separate note, would be appropriate (as rfc2052bis
> suggests in its Applicability Statement).  I'd expect, though, that the
> path to making such a recommendation would be strewn with obstacles such
> as how naming contexts are named, other possible discovery mechanisms (eg
> svrloc), security concerns, etc.
>
> Thoughts?

The current taxonomy of mechanisms for clients finding servers is available
as
draft-moats-ldap-taxonomy-00.txt.  Roland and I are working on the -01 draft
and it should be out in the near future (or at least by the deadline for
Washington).  One of its references is draft-armijo-ldap-locate-00.txt which
discusses using SRV records for locating LDAP services.

Ryan