Configuring an LDAP Security Manager

There are two configuration scenarios when integrating with LDAP. Each one uses a different Security Manager 

The first option is

1. integrates with an external LDAP/AD system and is in full control of user authentications. Use the LDAP Security Manager in this situation.
   
   
    
2. The second option is to use deployed to an existing servlet container that is already handling user authentications through LDAP. Authentication, in this case, is the responsibility of the container. However, is responsible for runtime authorization and design time querying of user metadata. Use the LDAP Container Security Manager in this situation. This security manager relies on the container for user authentications and also connects to the LDAP server design time and runtime information for users, roles and user metadata.
   
   

Retrieving Custom Attributes from the LDAP Server

When a user is successfully authenticated by the LDAP security manager,  retrieves the following basic user information from the LDAP server: 

Last Name
First Name
Email address 

Using a business rule, you can populate controls in your form with this information. 

There are many attributes available in Active Directory. View this website for a partial list. Single and multi-value attributes are supported. Active Directory custom attributes can be retrieved for users in a  tenant using the LDAP Security Manager or the LDAP Container Security Manager.  

Additional custom attributes can be retrieved from the LDAP server by typing the attribute names in the Custom field on the LDAP Configuration screen and writing a business rule to pull that information into your form.   

Configure Retrievable Attributes

Single-value Attributes

If you want to pull additional information from Active Directory into your form, enter  a comma separated list of custom attribute names to be retrieved in the Custom field on the LDAP Configuration screen. Let's use the employee's Middle Initial and Home Phone as an example. The attributes for Middle Initial and Telephone Number are initials and telephoneNumber respectively. 

Follow these steps to modify the configuration:  

1. Login to as the tenantadmin.
2. Click the Edit Tenant link.
3. Type the custom attribute names (telephoneNumber and initials) in the Custom field on the LDAP Configuration screen separated by a comma. Make sure there are no spaces between the attributes.
   
   
   
   
4. Click submit to save the changes.
     

Write a rule to populate controls in your form with the firstname, lastname, email address plus the additional attributes specified in the configuration parameter. Notice the initials and the telephone number controls in the image are filled with the user information from the LDAP server.

Multi-value Attributes

Attributes with more than one value are also supported. For example, The carLicense attribute can return multiple licenses. You can write a rule to populate dropdown options with the specified car license values. Make sure the carLicense attribute is configured in the Custom field of the LDAP Configuration screen and of course, there are multiple carLicense attributes, each one containing a different value for the dropdown options, set up for appropriate users on the LDAP server. 

A JSON array string listing multiple car licenses is returned and it can be used in a  rule to populate the options of a dropdown control named carLicense.