Configuring LDAP connection

Configure an LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) connection for your IBM® Cloud Private cluster.

You must connect an LDAP directory with your IBM Cloud Private cluster. You can then add users from your LDAP directory into your cluster.

The following LDAP types are supported:

• IBM Tivoli Directory Server
• IBM Lotus Domino
• IBM SecureWay Directory Server
• Novell eDirectory
• Sun Java™ System Directory Server
• Netscape Directory Server
• Microsoft Active Directory
• Custom

Note: You can configure an account lockout policy when you set up your LDAP server. An account lockout policy provides more security by restricting access to the account if multiple login attempts fail.

Required user type or access level: Cluster administrator

Connecting to your LDAP directory

Follow these steps to set up your LDAP connection.

1. Log on as an administrator.
2. From the navigation menu, click Manage > Identity & Access.
3. Click Create Connection. The "LDAP connection" page is displayed.

4. Enter the following details to set up your LDAP connection.
   Note: You can configure multiple LDAP connection instances to the same LDAP server. However, both the Base DN and connection Name must be unique.

   LDAP connection

   Enter connection information.

   • Name: A unique name for the LDAP connection. Format: 1 - 50 alphanumeric characters; Special characters that are allowed: - _
   • Type: A type of LDAP directory that you are connecting to. Select from the list. Format: 1 - 255 alphanumeric characters; white space is allowed; no special characters are allowed.

   • URL: The LDAP directory domain name or IP address, and the LDAP port number. The domain name must begin with ldap://. Example URL: ldap://corpldap.abc.com:389 or ldap://10.10.10.1:389.

     For LDAP over SSL (LDAPS), you must use the domain name, and the URL must begin with ldaps://. Example URL: ldaps://corpldap.abc.com:636.

     Note: If you are unable to connect to your LDAPS server by using the host name, add the IP address and host name of the LDAPS server in your local DNS. The LDAPS server host name must be resolvable from your IBM Cloud Private master node.

   LDAP authentication

   Enter authentication information.

   • Base DN: The distinguished name of the search base. Example: dc=abc,dc=com. Format: 1 - 255 alphanumeric characters; Special characters that are allowed: = . , -
   • Bind DN: The user who is allowed to search the base DN. Example: cn=admin,dc=abc,dc=com. This parameter is optional. If no user is specified in the Bind DN parameter, the LDAP connection is established without authentication. Format: 0 - 255 alphanumeric characters; white space is allowed; Special characters that are allowed: = . , -

   • Bind DN password: The password of the user who is mentioned in the Bind DN. This parameter is not required if you do not specify a user in the bind DN. A maximum of 255 characters are allowed.

     Note: The configuration of Base DN and Bind DN values must be set as case-sensitive and must be a full distinguished name (DN) path. The DN path, including spaces, commas, and other characters, must be the same as configured in the LDAP server. See the following example:

     Base DN : DC=mycompany,DC=com
     Bind DN : CN=Administrator,CN=Users,DC=mycompany,DC=com
     

     For Base DN, the following values are invalid:

     • dc=mycompany,dc=com because DC is lowercase alphabet.
     • DC=mycompany, DC=com because there is a space between the parameters.

     For Bind DN, the following values are invalid:

     • cn=Administrator,cn=Users,dc=mycompany,dc=com because CN and DC are lowercase alphabets.
     • CN=Administrator,DC=mycompany,DC=com because CN=Users parameter is missing.
     • CN=Administrator,CN=Users, DC=mycompany,DC=com because there is a space between the parameters.
     • CN=administrator,CN=Users,DC=mycompany,DC=com because the administrator parameter value starts with a lowercase alphabet.

     Note: Microsoft Active Directory server does a strict check of Base DN and Bind DN values while it establishes a connection.

   You can click Test connection to verify whether the LDAP connection details are valid.

   LDAP filters

   Enter information about the search filters. For default LDAP filters by LDAP type, see Default LDAP filters by LDAP type.

   • Group filter: The filter clause for searching groups. Format: 1 - 255 alphanumeric characters; Special characters that are allowed: white space, = ; . , & % () {} <> |
   • Group ID map: The filter to map a group name to an LDAP entry. Format: 1 - 255 alphanumeric characters; Special characters that are allowed: white space, * : = ; . , & % () {}
   • Group member ID map: The filter to map a user to a group. Format: 1 - 255 alphanumeric characters; Special characters that are allowed: white space, * : = ; . , & % () {}
   • User filter: The filter clause for searching users. Format: 1 - 255 alphanumeric characters; Special characters that are allowed: white space, = ; . , & % () {} <> |
   • User ID map: The filter to map a user name to an LDAP entry. Format: 1 - 255 alphanumeric characters; Special characters that are allowed: white space, * : = ; . , & % () {}

5. Click Connect.

Your IBM Cloud Private cluster is now connected with your LDAP directory.

Note: If you are using an LDAPS connection, the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates that are required for your LDAPS connection are automatically configured when you connect with your directory. However, you must manually restart the auth-idp pod. Complete these steps on your master node:

1. Install kubectl. For more information, see Installing the Kubernetes CLI (kubectl).

2. Get the auth-idp pods.

   kubectl -n kube-system get pods | grep auth-idp
   

3. Delete the auth-idp pods.

   kubectl -n kube-system delete pods <pod_name>
   

4. Wait for the pods to restart.

   If your LDAPS connection is not successful, you can try setting up the connection manually. For more information, see Configuring LDAP over SSL.

Next, you can add your LDAP users and user groups to your IBM Cloud Private cluster. For more information about adding users, see Add users to a team and Add groups to a team.

Default LDAP filters by LDAP type