single sign on

yasir453 · 05-15-2010, 03:13 AM

Dear Sir;
i want to discuss one thing,
currently we working in multiple authentication environment where each service like library server,web server,it help desk server and LMS require separate authentication system.
for this purpose we are using active directory and open LDAP.

Now we want to shift it on single sign on environment where user authenticate once and he/she can utilize all services.
Sir how it is possible and which authentication service can do it.currently i am studying open source directory structure.

ilikejam · 05-15-2010, 06:03 AM

Hi.

A kerberos server is what you need, along with kerberos enabled logins etc. OpenSSH can talk to kerberos, as can a lot of other stuff.

Active Directory uses (a modified?) version of kerberos, so you might already have the infrastructure in place.

Dave

TB0ne · 05-15-2010, 08:49 AM

Or you could use LDAP, which many corporate environments use. In my opinion, it's more robust, since LDAP support is in a LOT of applications, OS'es, and devices. You can even integrate a single SUDO'ers file with LDAP.

thecarpy · 05-15-2010, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Or you could use LDAP, which many corporate environments use. In my opinion, it's more robust, since LDAP support is in a LOT of applications, OS'es, and devices. You can even integrate a single SUDO'ers file with LDAP.

TB0ne, single sign-on means you authenticate once. LDAP cannot do that as such, you need a token system, where you authenticate and receive a token which automatically authenticates you from then on. Kerberos is a solution. Besides, AD can act as LDAP.

@yasir453, check this one out: http://www.wlug.org.nz/ActiveDirectoryKerberos

TB0ne · 05-15-2010, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thecarpy

TB0ne, single sign-on means you authenticate once. LDAP cannot do that as such, you need a token system, where you authenticate and receive a token which automatically authenticates you from then on. Kerberos is a solution. Besides, AD can act as LDAP.

@yasir453, check this one out: http://www.wlug.org.nz/ActiveDirectoryKerberos

Sorry, LDAP is very frequently used as a single sign-on system, and is used at such. At the past two (rather large) corporations I worked at, that was the ONLY method of sign-on, and handled everything, from printers to workstations, and pushed applications. LDAP can also include Kerberos back-ends, and tie in with other methods of authentication, too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightwe...ccess_Protocol

Active Directory is Windows based:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Directory

You CAN hook Linux/Unix boxes into AD, but it certainly doesn't work very well.

Blue_Ice · 05-15-2010, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TB0ne

Sorry, LDAP is very frequently used as a single sign-on system, and is used at such. At the past two (rather large) corporations I worked at, that was the ONLY method of sign-on, and handled everything, from printers to workstations, and pushed applications. LDAP can also include Kerberos back-ends, and tie in with other methods of authentication, too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightwe...ccess_Protocol

Active Directory is Windows based:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Directory

You CAN hook Linux/Unix boxes into AD, but it certainly doesn't work very well.

LDAP alone cannot be used as single sign-on. LDAP is just a hierarchical database instead of a relational database. However if you configure LDAP with Kerberos, like it is done in Active Directory, then you are able to create a single sign-on system. Kerberos creates a ticket, which will work instead of an username and password combination. LDAP does not create such a ticket, therefore in environments where there is only ldap, you will always have to authenticate with your username and password over and over again.

TB0ne · 05-15-2010, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue_Ice

LDAP alone cannot be used as single sign-on. LDAP is just a hierarchical database instead of a relational database. However if you configure LDAP with Kerberos, like it is done in Active Directory, then you are able to create a single sign-on system. Kerberos creates a ticket, which will work instead of an username and password combination. LDAP does not create such a ticket, therefore in environments where there is only ldap, you will always have to authenticate with your username and password over and over again.

Yes, but I think the problem in this thread, is the difference between "authentication" and "authorization", at least in my mind.

LDAP with Kerberos back-end does both. LDAP alone can TELL another application (anything...login client, web page, etc.), what a given user is ALLOWED to access, but doesn't actually authenticate the user.

Blue_Ice · 05-15-2010, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TB0ne

Yes, but I think the problem in this thread, is the difference between "authentication" and "authorization", at least in my mind.

LDAP with Kerberos back-end does both. LDAP alone can TELL another application (anything...login client, web page, etc.), what a given user is ALLOWED to access, but doesn't actually authenticate the user.

I think the OP is pretty clear about what he wants. The subject of the thread clearly states single sign-on, which means log on once and you don't need to bother about anything any more. To accomplish this LDAP alone will not be sufficient. So he needs Kerberos as well. On linux this means you need a directory server combined with a kerberos implementation and on windows Active Directory.