Specifying an X.500 Client API

An X.500 client API is required in order to access X.500 using FNS. You can use one of two different clients:

• XDS/XOM API. The XDS/XOM API must be installed. It is exported from the /opt/SUNWxds/lib/libxomxds.so shared object. Consult "Getting started with the SunLink X.500 Client Toolkit" for details on SunSoft's X.500 product.

• LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) API. The LDAP API is automatically installed as part of Solaris Release 2.6.

The API that you use is specified in each machine's /etc/fn/x500.conf file. This file contains configuration information for X.500 and LDAP. This file can be edited directly. The default x500.conf file contains two entries:

x500-access: xds ldap 
ldap-servers: localhost ldap

Where localhost and ldap are the IP addresses or hostnames of one or more LDAP servers.

The first entry specifies the order in which X.500 accesses APIs. In the example above, X.500 will first try to use XDS/XOM. If XDS/XOM is not available, it will default to using LDAP. If the entry read: x500-access: ldap xds, X.500 would use LDAP and only fall back on XDS if LDAP were not available.

The second entry lists the IP addresses or hostnames of servers running LDAP. Each server is tried in turn until a successful LDAP connection is achieved. In the example above, the localhost is tried first. If LDAP is not available on that server, the next one is tried.