Lecture Sheets / file revision

 LDAP integration in Android

 Type: Lecture/presentation

 Category: Engineering/development

 Topic: Networking/Internals/Implementation choices

 Audience: Mobile users,

           software engineers,

           network engineers

 Duration: 45 minute presentation

 Author and Speaker

 ------------------

 Michael Schloh von Bennewitz

 Software Engineer, Europalab Networks

 web: http://michael.schloh.com/

 email: michael@schloh.com

 isdn: +49(89)44239885

 voip: sips:michael@schloh.com

 xmpp: MSvB

 Biography

 ---------

 Michael Schloh von Bennewitz is a computer scientist specializing in

 network software, mobile computing, and client server design. He speaks

 at technical events every year. In the past, he has given lectures on

 object oriented design, technical writing, network protocols, mobile

 OSs, MeeGo development, LDAP integration strategies, and the Qt library

 build process. His speaking style is humorous, using gestures and good

 eye contact. He walks about the room and writes presentations in SVG

 or HTML5.

 Abstract

 --------

 The lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) is implemented in

 almost all IP hardphones as well as being prevelent in email clients.

 Although Active Directory users of Windows technology typically use LDAP

 for authentication, a number of directory relevant use cases lead to the

 question 'Why do so few mobile operating systems integrate LDAP client

 logic?'

 The presentation begins by defining and explaining the LDAP protocol.

 Reference is made to some well known client and server implementations

 as well as reviewing a hello world example application in ten minutes.

 A comparison is drawn to SQL, a similar technology which most have more

 experience with. Use cases are explored and judged for their value to

 the linux mobile ecosystem and Android OS in particular.

 In past presentations, audiences have put their own use cases

 forward and compared LDAP directory concepts with corresponding SQL

 alternatives.

 The audience consists of regular android users as well as software

 and network engineers familiar with LDAP, SQL, or neither one.

 Attendants expect clearly defined LDAP use cases, abstract concepts,

 concrete definitions, and a well explained hello world LDAP example

 implementation given live.

 It is likely that what attendants take home is not what they thought

 about before. Many have little or no exposure to directory services

 and will rejoice in learning about LDAP and how easy it is to integrate

 and administer. The Linux community stands to benefit greatly from a

 reenergized collective effort at integrating LDAP wherever a strong case

 for directory service exists. Hello Android, meet LDAP.

 The following text is a lecture outline.

 Main chapters (20 minutes)

 --------------------------

   Concepts

     Directory

     Access

     Protocol

     LDAP

     Offspring

       Active directory

     Comparisons

       SQL

       Client storage

   Business use cases

     Legacy directories

     Network configuration

     Security or license sensitive

   General use cases

     Authentication

     Contacts integration

     Noncontacts customized

     Certificate storage

     SQL competition

   Platform provision

     Synchronization

     Read-optimized lookups

     Little network penalty

     Standardized protocol

     Network bound

   Platform architecture

     What Android API provides

     What Android market offers

     What 3rd party APIs offer

     Compatibility concerns

   Implementations

     Server-side relevance

     Client SDKs

       Apache [1]

       OpenDS [2]

       UnboundID [3]

       Novell [4]

       Mozilla [5]

       Netscape (renamed Mozilla)

       Oracle JNDI [6] (not available)

       JavaScript (not much)

 Demonstration (15 minutes)

 --------------------------

   Download and installation of LDAP client SDK

   Development of Hello LDAP five line application

   Build, package, install, and test app

   Review of selected business use case

 Questions (10 minutes)

 ----------------------

   Anticipated questions

     Why not just use a (Static|SQL|Lync|other) directory in business?

     What are the disadvantages of SQL or ODBC for similar applications?

     How relevant are directory services other than just for contacts?

     Why would a business not use whatever apps are already in the market?

     Why not depend on a social network for directory services?

 Relevant jokes about...

 -----------------------

   Android and Linux

   Directories and legacy apps

 Glossary

 --------

   Directory

   Access

   Protocol

   Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)

   Active Directory (AD)

   Application Programming Interface (API)

   Software Development Kit (SDK)

   Structured Query Language (SQL)

   Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)

   American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

   International Organization for Standards (ISO)

   Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)

   Request for Comments (RFC)

 Errata

 ------

   Errata here.

 Lecture materials

 -----------------

 This lecture is developed on a public source code revision management

 system [7]. It is (or will be) published on a public file server [8].

 Technical requirements

 ----------------------

 A WLAN connection (for remote slide advancement,) internet connectivity

 (for demonstration purposes,) and a whiteboard (to sketch diagrams) are

 needed for this presentation.

 Links and notes

 ---------------

   [1] http://directory.apache.org/

   [2] http://www.opends.org/

   [3] http://www.unboundid.com/products/ldap-sdk/

   [4] http://www.novell.com/developer/ndk/ldap_classes_for_java.html

   [5] https://wiki.mozilla.org/Directory

   [6] http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/jndi/

   [7] http://scm.europalab.com/lectures/

   [8] ftp://ftp.europalab.com/pub/doc/lect/