Re: Java-LDAP APIs

[Clayton Donley <clayton.donley@octetstring.com>]

Hi Steve,

While both APIs allow access to LDAP servers from Java, they do it in very
different ways.

The Novell JLDAP stuff really maps much closer to LDAP itself than any of
the other LDAP APIs for Java. Among other things it will give you the
ability to have finer controls over searches, controls used, etc...than most
other LDAP APIs (including JNDI, though Java 1.4.1 closes the gap on this
somewhat, though not completely).

The OctetString JDBC-LDAP bridge actually sits on top of the Java Naming and
Directory Interface (JNDI) and provides a way for people with applications
that are already written for databases to more easily use LDAP directories
by giving these folks a way of accessing LDAP directories using JDBC and
SQL. It doesn't, however, give you the ability to do things like send LDAP
controls and is probably not the best development kit to use for a new
application in which you will be using the directory for typical identity
management stuff where directories are already becoming more common than
databases.

I will point out that one of the more interesting uses of the JDBC-LDAP
bridge is the use by non-programmers in JDBC-enabled report generation
software to do report writing out of LDAP servers. This is possible because
the JDBC-LDAP bridge can be plugged into most JDBC-enabled applications
without any real code changes. I should also point out that this doesn't add
any database functionality (referential integrity, etc...) to the directory
server or change the type of data that belongs in the directory.

Clayton

-- 
Clayton Donley
Octet String, Inc.
WWW:   www.octetstring.com
Email: clayton.donley@octetstring.com

Author: LDAP Programming, Management, and Integration
URL:    http://www.manning.com/donley/



On 3/3/03 12:53 PM, "Steve.Lewis@ctimi.com" <Steve.Lewis@ctimi.com> wrote:

> 
> What are the differences between the JDBC-LDAP bridge and Novell's LDAP
> Library?  Any pros/cons?  The openldap.org site seems to be down.  Or maybe
> our internet at work is broke.  Time to put another AOL CD in the server.
> Heh.
> Steve
> --
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