LDAP Server Overview

Yeastar P-Series Software Edition can be set as an LDAP Server, which provides centralized phonebook management. With this feature, you can store the contact information on the PBX, and quickly launch calls without wasting time finding a contact's number and subsequently entering it on your phone, thus greatly improving work efficiency.

LDAP introduction

LDAP stands for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, which is an application protocol for accessing and maintaining information services for the distributed directory over an IP network.

The LDAP directory server is based on the client/server mode. The LDAP Server contains directory data. An LDAP Client connects to the LDAP Server, and sends a request to obtain directory data from the LDAP Server, thus implementing global directory data management.

LDAP directory structure

The LDAP Server is a type of network database based on entries, which is a collection of information about an entity. In LDAP, directory entries are arranged in a hierarchical tree-like structure. The following figure shows an example of Yeastar P-Series Software Edition LDAP directory tree.

LDAP terminologies

An LDAP entry is a collection of information about an entity. Each entry consists of three primary components: a distinguished name, a collection of attributes, and a collection of object classes.
Distinguished Name (DN)

A globally-unique entry's distinguished name, which uniquely identifies the entry and its position in the directory information tree hierarchy.

A DN usually consists of three components.

  • dc: Domain Component, usually refers to a component of the domain name.
  • ou: Organization Unit, usually refers to a name of a group object.
  • cn: Common Name, usually refers to a user name.

The DN of an LDAP entry is much like the path to a file on a filesystem. For example, cn=amy,ou=extensions,dc=pbx,dc=com is like a file path of com/pbx/extensions/amy.

The Base DN is the root of the LDAP directory tree, which is the starting point of LDAP search. For example, dc=pbx,dc=com.

Attributes
Each entry can have multiple attributes. Each attribute has an attribute type and a set of values that comprise the actual data.

The syntax of values depends on the attribute type. The following table gives examples of attributes when ou=company contacs.

Table 1.
Attribute Information details Example
cn Contact ID Leo
displayName Display Name Leo Ball
givenName First Name Leo
sn Last Name Ball
mail Email Address leoball@example.com
company Company Yeastar
title Job Title Manager
department Organization Sales
telephoneNumber Business number +86-592-5503301
mobile Mobile Number 12345678902
homePhone Home Number 12345678902
facsimileTelephoneNumber Fax Number +86-592-5503301
postalCode Zip Code 361024
I City Xiamen
st Street Software Park Phase Ⅲ
co Country China
Object Classes

Object Class defines collections of attribute types which may be used in entries containing that class, and which of those attribute types will be required rather than optional. Every entry has a structural object class, which indicates what kind of object an entry represents (e.g., whether it is information about a person, a group, a device, a service, etc.), and may also have zero or more auxiliary object classes that suggest additional characteristics for that entry.

For example, if the objectclass is person, then the required attributes are givenName and sn, the optional attributes are description, seeAlso, etc.