NameFinder
ApplicationThis chapter describes how to deploy and configure NameFinder
.
NameFinder
is a web application that
offers users a convenient, browser-based interface. The application allows
users to look up contact and organizational information in a Lightweight Directory
Access Protocol (LDAP) directory.
This chapter covers the following topics:
The NameFinder
application depends on the
following prerequisite software items:
JavaTM 2 Platform Software Development Kit 1.4
One of the following web application containers into which you deploy
the NameFinder
nfDSRK.war web
application file:
Sun Java System Application Server 7
Sun Java System Web Server 6 2004Q1 Update 1 Service Pack 2
An LDAP directory server, such as Directory Server, containing
data needed by the NameFinder
application
Subsequent versions of the prerequisite software can be used as well.
You must install and configure prerequisite software before deploying the NameFinder
application. Refer to the Sun Java Enterprise System 5 Installation Guide for UNIX or
a more recent edition for instructions on installing the prerequisite software.
NameFinder
You can deploy the NameFinder
application
on Application Server or on Web Server.
Before deploying the NameFinder
application, make
sure you have installed and configured the software listed in Prerequisite Software.
Log in to the Application Server browser-based administration interface.
For example, if you configured the Application Server administration interface to use the default port, go to http://hostname:4848/.
Select a server instance on which to deploy the NameFinder
application.
For example, if you configured Application Server to use the default settings, select server1.
Upload nfDSRK.war as a web application, accepting the default settings.
You can find the nfDSRK.war web application archive in the class directory where you installed Directory Server Resource Kit, install-path/dsrk6/class/nfDSRK.war.
Apply changes to the server instance.
View the NameFinder
application for
the first time.
For example, if you configured Application Server to use the default settings, go to http://hostname:81/nfDSRK/.
You can now proceed
to Configuring NameFinder
to Access Your Directory.
Before deploying the NameFinder
application, make
sure you have installed and configured the software listed in Prerequisite Software.
Log in to the Web Server browser-based administration interface.
For example, if you configured the Web Server administration interface to use the default port, go to http://hostname:8888/.
Click Manage next to the Web Server Hostname drop-down menu.
Select the Virtual Server Class tab, and then click Manage next to the Virtual Server Class drop-down menu.
Click Manage next to the Virtual Server drop-down menu.
This
page is where you manage the server instance on which to deploy the NameFinder
application.
Select the Web Application tab, and then complete the web form for application deployment.
You can find the nfDSRK.war web application archive in the class directory where you installed the Directory Server Resource Kit, install-path/dsrk6/class/nfDSRK.war.
Notice when completing the web form that the installation directory is install-path/dsrk6/class/.
Furthermore, you can change the name of the application URI. The default is /nfDSRK. Another possible application URI is /NameFinder.
Apply the changes.
Return to the Server Manager page to turn the server off, and then turn the server on again.
View the NameFinder
application for
the first time.
For example, if you configured Web Server to use the default settings and entered /nfDSRK as the application URI, go to http://hostname/nfDSRK/.
You can now proceed to Configuring NameFinder
to Access Your Directory.
NameFinder
to
Access Your DirectoryYou can configure NameFinder to access your directory on Application Server or on Web Server.
After deploying the NameFinder
application,
Application Server creates a WEB-INF/ container directory
that holds NameFinder
files. The location of this
directory depends on where you installed the Application Server instance.
You must specify in the WEB-INF/classes/NameFinder.properties file how to access the directory that holds the data to retrieve.
If necessary, determine the path where you deployed the NameFinder
application with the Application Server browser-based
interface.
The WEB-INF/classes/NameFinder.properties file is located in that directory.
Become a user, such as superuser, with access to edit the file.
Adjust properties in the WEB-INF/classes/NameFinder.properties file to allow the application to access the directory, and then save your changes.
The NameFinder.properties file is a Java properties file. Everything in the file is case sensitive. Adjust at least the following lines:
NameFinder.ldapBase=baseDN NameFinder.ldapServers=serverList NameFinder.ldapVersion=3 NameFinder.ldapPort=ldapPort NameFinder.ldapUser=bindDN NameFinder.ldapPasswd=bindPassword
baseDN is the base DN for people's entries in your organization, such as ou=people,dc=example,dc=com.
serverList is a | separated list of directory servers, such as directory|backup-directory|ext-directory.example.com.
ldapPort is the port number on which the servers listen for LDAP requests, by default 389.
bindDN is the DN used to authenticate.
Do not enclose the bind DN in quotes.
bindPassword is the password used to authenticate.
For hints regarding what you can adjust, read the comments in the WEB-INF/classes/sample.properties file.
In the Application Server browser-based interface, apply changes on the server instance by pressing the Apply Changes button.
After
applying changes, you can begin using the NameFinder
application
to look up contact and organizational information.
Verify that the NameFinder
application
works by searching for a known user, such as yourself, using the browser-based
interface.
After you are satisfied that the NameFinder
application
works, you can choose to customize the application for your organization.
After deploying the NameFinder
application,
Web Server creates a WEB-INF/ container directory that
holds NameFinder
files. The location of this directory
depends on where you installed the Web Server instance.
You must specify in the WEB-INF/classes/NameFinder.properties file how to access the directory that holds the data to retrieve.
If necessary, determine the path where you deployed the NameFinder
application with the Web Server browser-based interface.
The WEB-INF/classes/NameFinder.properties file is located in that directory.
Become a user, such as superuser, with access to edit the file.
Adjust properties in the WEB-INF/classes/NameFinder.properties file to allow the application to access the directory, and then save your changes.
The NameFinder.properties file is a Java properties file. Everything in the file is case sensitive. Adjust at least the following lines:
NameFinder.ldapBase=baseDN NameFinder.ldapServers=serverList NameFinder.ldapVersion=3 NameFinder.ldapPort=ldapPort NameFinder.ldapUser=bindDN NameFinder.ldapPasswd=bindPassword
baseDN is the base DN for people's entries in your organization, such as ou=people,dc=example,dc=com.
serverList is a | separated list of directory servers, such as directory|backup-directory|ext-directory.example.com.
ldapPort is the port number on which the servers listen for LDAP requests, by default 389.
bindDN is the DN used to authenticate.
Do not enclose the bind DN in quotes.
bindPassword is the password used to authenticate.
For hints regarding what you can adjust, read the comments in the WEB-INF/classes/sample.properties file.
You must restart Web Server for the changes to take effect.
Return to the Server Manager page in the Web Server browser-based interface to turn the server off, then on again.
At this point,
you can begin using the NameFinder
application
to look up contact and organizational information.
Verify that the NameFinder
application
works by searching for a known user, such as yourself, using the browser-based
interface.
After you are satisfied that the NameFinder
application
works, you can choose to customize the application for your organization.
NameFinder
This section covers what you can customize in the NameFinder
web
application, using only the Java properties files provided. Detailed explanations
of individual properties can be found in the WEB-INF/classes/sample.properties file in the directory where you deployed the application.
NameFinder
was designed as a Sun internal
web application. The default configuration therefore relies on Sun's LDAP
schema and directory information tree (DIT). The schema and DIT probably differ
from the schema and DIT in use at your organization.
In addition to customizations within the application, you can also customize
searches by using options in the search field. Furthermore, you can customize
what attributes to display within the browser-based interface. Refer to the NameFinder
online help for details.
As described in Configuring NameFinder
to Access Your Directory, you customize the WEB-INF/classes/NameFinder.properties file to allow the application
to access your directory.
By convention, connection parameters are included in the first few lines
of the Java properties file. You can configure to which host-port combination NameFinder
connects. You can also configure whether to use LDAP
v2 or v3, and whether to bind as a particular user.
NameFinder
connection properties only allow
you to configure simple authentication connections to the directory, however.
You cannot use connection properties to configure NameFinder
to
connect using SSL or a SASL mechanism.
NameFinder
lets you configure attributes
that define search options, attributes to search, and labels for the values
returned. The Java properties definitions for such attributes take the following
form:
NameFinder.attr#=optChar|colChar|attr|label|colLabel
A decimal number
Do not leave any numbers in the sequence that remain commented out. NameFinder
depends on having the numbers in ascending order
without gaps.
An option character for use in searches
For example, P is by default the phone number option.
Thus, search for the entry with phone number 1 234 567 8910 by
typing -P "1 234 567 8910" in the NameFinder
search
field.
Do not use F as an option character. This character is reserved to allow you to enter LDAP search filters, such as -F "(telephoneNumber=1 234 567 8910)", directly.
This parameter is called arg1 in WEB-INF/classes/sample.properties.
A character for use in defining table columns as a parameter
to NameFinder
For example, you can use the default configuration. You use the default
by passing fields=nfeP as one of the options in the URL
to NameFinder
for a search that returns multiple
entries. NameFinder
displays results in a four-column
table that has column labels Lastname, Firstname, eMail, and Phone #.
This argument is called arg2 in WEB-INF/classes/sample.properties.
The LDAP attribute to search when using optChar
This argument is called arg3 in WEB-INF/classes/sample.properties.
The label to display for the corresponding attr value when showing results for a single LDAP entry
This argument is called arg4 in WEB-INF/classes/sample.properties.
The column label to display in the table header for the corresponding attr value when showing results for multiple LDAP entries
This argument is called arg5 in WEB-INF/classes/sample.properties.
You can leave variables blank in search attribute properties definitions.
In addition to connection and search attribute properties, NameFinder
allows you to define several other properties in
the WEB-INF/classes/NameFinder.properties file. These
other properties govern the following:
The default table layout for displaying results when searches return multiple entries
Lists of LDAP attributes to search when looking up phone numbers and email addresses
Which LDAP attributes correspond to NameFinder
attribute fields, which allow NameFinder
to be
abstract from particular LDAP schema
Table layouts for displaying team views and tables of a manager's direct reports
Refer to WEB-INF/classes/sample.properties for details.