"The LDAP Guys."

LDAPCon 2009 Session

Towards a common LDAP API for the Java Platform

Submitted Materials

• Submitted Paper

Abstract:

When it comes to access LDAP from the Java platform, developers are facing a poor choice: either use JNDI which suffers from being too generic or use Netscape LDAP Java SDK which was designed many years ago and lacks the new features of the Java language. Both Apache Directory Server and OpenDS projects are developing LDAP based servers and tools in Java, and both have the same need: a client API that works both in their server and for the client tools, so they each are in the process of finishing their client API for Java.

Realizing that LDAP developers are not so numerous and a good single API is more than needed, the Apache Directory Server and OpenDS developers started to discuss on the path to define this single standard LDAP API for Java programmers. This talk will discuss a list of requirements and needs, dive in specific areas of the interfaces and discuss the standardization path.

Bios:

Emmanuel Lecharny is the former Apache Directory Server Chairman, working on this project since 2005.

Ludovic Poitou is the OpenDS community manager and a directory services architect at Sun Microsystems. Ludo has been involved with directory services since 1991 and has been developing Sun's directory products since 1995. Mr Poitou is a regular presenter of LDAP, directory services, and OpenDS at JavaOne, Sun CEC, Jazoon, LDAPCon, and other key forums. He also actively contributed to the development of LDAP standards at IETF and participated in the Directory Interoperability Forum of The Open Group. Ludo blogs on the subject of LDAP and directory services on http:/blogs.sun.com/Ludo/.