I understand the basics of relational databases, the basic differences between SQL and MySql and how to connect to both SQL and MySql databases, setup tables, schemas, run queries etc.
I have started working with a new device which I understand has an LDAP database on it (a Splicecom Maximiser Call Server to be precise). I have the LDAP credentials but know absolutely nothing about LDAP.
Is there an equivalent to MySql workbench or Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio for LDAP? Is an LDAP database relational or some other database model? Can I connect to an LDAP database in the same way I can connect to a SQL or MySql database and run queries or is this something completely different?
I’m hearing the word database and thinking I’ve worked with databases before, databases have tables, schemas and a language you can use to query. If I learn the layout of the database (what data is in what tables, what my primary keys are, what I need to join on, what is indexed and what I need to index etc), then learn the query language I can take what I know about SQL and MySql and apply this to LDAP.
Am I on the right track or not?
Thanks
LDAP is not a relational database. In fact, it’s not a general-purpose “database” at all, it’s a tree-structured directory.
A lot of the concepts you’re familiar with from relational databases don’t really apply to LDAP. For example, there are no “tables” and there’s no “join” operation.
An LDAP entry is a collection of attributes. Entries are arranged in a tree structure, and are uniquely identified by a “distinguished name” that is the path to that object in the tree. For example:
cn=Joe Smith,ou=Users,dc=example,dc=com
Would be an entry with Common Name (cn) “Joe Smith” in the “Users” organizational unit (ou) within the “example.com” (dc=example,dc=com) directory.
The most basic operation in LDAP is the search, which takes a “search base” and a filter string. For example, using a command-line LDAP tool you might say:
to find the entry above and return all attributes. (Note the use of the “*” wildcard in the search filter). You can also query other attributes, build more complex queries with “and” and “or”, specify what attributes you want returned, etc.
One good way to get a feel for a particular LDAP directory is to browse around in it with a tool such as ldapsearch (command line) or Apache Directory Studio (GUI).
ps. personally, I would recommend using the terminology “LDAP directory” instead of “LDAP database” — the word “database” tends to create the expectation that LDAP can do things (JOINs, aggregate operations, etc.) it’s simply not designed for.