Learn more about LDAP
 
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Although LDAP is well documented and most LDAP documents are available on the Internet, there is nothing like a good book to cozy up to when learning LDAP. The classic text, weighing in at a decidedly non-lightweight 850 pages, is "Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services," by Tim Howes, Mack Smith, and Gordon Good, all members of the original Michigan team who went to work for Netscape and brought them such massive success in the LDAP world.
Howes et al. offer a general introduction to directories and LDAP in particular, with an emphasis on actually using LDAP in an organization: designing the directory, and handling deployment and maintenance issues. There is no real information on writing applications with LDAP; if you want to learn more in that direction, turn to Howes and Smith's other book, "LDAP : Programming Directory-Enabled Applications With Lightweight Directory Access Protocol."
If the prospect of shelling out $50 a book has you frightened, you can get a good start on LDAP by visiting Innosoft's "LDAP World" web site, which offers (in addition to marketing information about their product line) lists of LDAP directory applications, LDAP FAQs and documentation, and pointers to other LDAP-oriented pages on the web. LDAP World also has pointers to the RFCs, if you want to get really down-and-dirty.
Our testing was done using tools from a variety of vendors, including Mindcraft. If you want to do LDAP benchmark testing, their freeware tools are a good place to start.
We did not do LDAP conformance testing, but The Open Group has a series of LDAP conformance tests available if you need to verify compliance to standards.
RELATED LINKS
Snyder is also a member of the Network World Test Alliance, a cooperative of the premier reviewers in the network industry. For more Test Alliance information, including what it takes to become a member go to www.nwfusion.com/alliance.
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