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Re: Fw: How useful is oracle internet directory server?
Just my 2 cents worth. I've breifly looked at Oracle's
LDAP server (mostly marketing info...), and here's where
it looks like it would make sense, at least for me:
We have most of our HR data if Peoplesoft, which is
backended by oracle. Much of this data is duplicated
in LDAP (names, addresses, etc). Currently, I have to
export data from Peoplesoft and import it into LDAP each
night.
I'm considering looking at using oracle's ldap server
as my LDAP master, with mappings into the peoplesoft tables,
and replicas that are Netscape directory servers (assuming
the replication is compatible). By doing this, all my
servers that read from LDAP hit netscape replica LDAP
servers, which are written for high LDAP performance.
My master server (Oracle LDAP) probably doesn't perform
anywhere near as well, since it's backended to sql, geared
toward different goals, but it does give me realtime
updates when a change is made in my HR database. Have
to work out issues with what can be written to via LDAP,
to make sure I don't create a way around Peoplesoft's
security - probably need to have other tables with LDAP
specific stuff (things like the userpassword, uid,
mail/calendar/other netscape suitespot attributes, etc)
that can be written to. There are other issues, but
the real-time interaction with the HR database this
provides is appealing.
Giovanni Baruzzi wrote:
> Hallo Mark
>
> we have here basically two distinct ideas:
>
> 1. the first idea is to have an Lightweight SQL Access Protocol; JDBC and DBI
> are good steps in the right direction, but as far not so mature or global as
> LDAP. (JDBC is limited to Java, for example, DBI to Perl; what about other
> languages?)
> That is in itself a good goal.
>
> 2. the second idea is one that many of us must face in everyday Practice.
> We have old legacy applications that stored "directory information" in SQL
> tables. We cannot bring all this data AT ONCE in a LDAP server option, because
> we have so many applications hanging from it. We need integration.
> Up to now we had been building horrendous gimmicks to update the information in
> LDAP AND in the old Database (often an Oracle, for us).
> The simple fact that the LDAP server uses as Back-End your old Oracle, even is
> separata table spaces, with a completely different model, is just ONE MORE
> CHANCE to perform a better integration and to enable a future full migration.
>
> Bets regards
> Giovanni
>
> Mark Wilcox wrote:
>
> > This would kind of be the wrong way to go. A directory is not an RDBMS so it
> > shouldn't support the same functionality.
> >
> > What you're asking for (and it's a good idea) is a an open standard for
> > communicating with a RDBMS. Most people think that's SQL, but SQL is only
> > useful after you've connected to the database. There still is not a true
> > open standard to a RDBMS. The closest things we have are ODBC (which is just
> > because MS shipped with every copy of Windows and is still primarily a
> > Windows only protocol), Java's JDBC and Perl's DBI.
> >
> > If you had a true open RDBMS database protocol, then you could talk more
> > sensibly about which to use (e.g. LDAP or RDBMS protocol) for an application
> > instead of trying to fit an RDBMS into LDAP.
> >
> > Mark
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Arnold Shore <ashore@stginc.com>
> > To: giovanni.baruzzi@allianz-leben.de <giovanni.baruzzi@allianz-leben.de>;
> > Bharat Tewari <tewari@wipinfo.soft.net>
> > Cc: Open-LDAP General <openldap-general@OpenLDAP.org>
> > Date: Tuesday, October 12, 1999 6:39 AM
> > Subject: RE: Fw: How useful is oracle internet directory server?
> >
> > >I would add that as LDAP usage grows into an enterprise infrastructure
> > >element, then its widening use will be facilitated by making available the
> > >SQL functions that are inherent to rdbms's. My view is that it's a sign of
> > >maturation.
> > >
> > >Or, as my grandmother might have said, "Paradigm, schmaradigm - it works
> > >OK!"
> > >
> > >Arnold Shore
> > >Annapolis, MD
> > >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >From: owner-openldap-general@OpenLDAP.org
> > >[mailto:owner-openldap-general@OpenLDAP.org]On Behalf Of Giovanni
> > >Baruzzi
> > >Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 1999 7:11 AM
> > >To: Bharat Tewari
> > >Cc: Open-LDAP General
> > >Subject: Re: Fw: How useful is oracle internet directory server?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Bharat Tewari wrote:
> > >
> > >> >>>>
> > >> <?fontfamily><?param Arial><?smaller>Hi
> > >> I just read somewhere that oracle has come out with Internet directory
> > >> server where basically its the open ldap server code and the backend
> > >> database is oracle. Now as per my understanding, the RDBMS and
> > >> directory service are two different paradigms so what exactly is the
> > >> advantage oracle is going to get with this move?
> > >
> > >Sure RDBMS and LDAP are very distant.
> > >But wer have so many RDBMS applications that we want to use and we don't
> > >have neither time or money to rewrite them completely, that every chance
> > >in integration is welcomed.
> > >The fact that the data repository of LDAP lies in the same Database as
> > >my application greatly enhances the possiblities of intergration. One
> > >can think of stored procedures to maintain application tables while
> > >updating LDAP or retrieving "Legacy Data" while accessing LDAP.
> > >
> > >>
> > >> Secondly how ldap and e-commerce are related?
> > >
> > >LDAP is infrastrucutre that you need to collect the data about your
> > >customers, their authentication, their rights, their settings.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >> Can somebody give me a good pointer on various e-commerce products
> > >> that use ldap and how does the relational database as a backend
> > >> advantageous(if it is!!).
> > >
> > >I have no pointers.
> > >About RDBMS: they are a very good way to organize data in tables. Is a
> > >mature technology and today very effective.
> > >We need data in tables; LDAP would not be the ideal solution here.
> > >
> > >
> > >> If anyone of you is planning on this direction and can throw some
> > >> light without violating patents, copyrights or confidentiality it
> > >> would be really helpful to me.
> > >> Thx
> > >> bharat
> > >> <?/smaller><?/fontfamily>
> > >> <<<<
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >My 0.5 cents
> > >
> > >Giovanni Baruzzi
> > >
> > >
> > >
--
Jeff Clowser
mailto:jclowser@aerotek.com Hanover MD 21076 USA
Phone: (410)-579-4328 7312 Parkway Drive