Chapter 8 Defining Functions For Authentication; Understanding Authentication Methods - Netscape DIRECTORY SERVER 6.01 - PLUG-IN Manual

Defining Functions for Authentication
This chapter explains how to write a plug-in function to bypass or replace the
standard function for authentication with your own function.
Information on authentication with the Netscape Directory Server (Directory
Server) is organized in the following sections:
•

Understanding Authentication Methods

• How the Directory Server Identifies Clients
• How the Authentication Process Works
• Writing Your Own Authentication Plug-in
• Writing a Pre-Operation Bind Plug-in
• Using SASL with an LDAP Client
Understanding Authentication Methods
Two methods that you can use to authenticate clients are simple authentication and
SASL authentication:
• Simple authentication is described in RFC 2251, which you can find at this
location:
Simple authentication provides minimal facilities for authentication. In the
simple authentication method, clients send a DN and password to the server
for authentication. The server compares the password sent by the client against
the password stored in the client's directory entry.
• Simple Authentication and Security Layer (SASL) is described in RFC 2222,
which you can find at this location:
http://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc2222.txt
http://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc2251.txt
Chapter 8
91