Dell FluidFS Version 6.0 FS8600 Appliance Deployment Guide

In environments that use Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), a FluidFS cluster can authenticate UNIX/Linux clients using LDAP for access to NFS exports. The LDAP database can be provided by either an LDAP server or Active Directory.

About this task

Use this page of the Add FluidFS Cluster wizard to configure external authentication.

Figure 1. Add FluidFS Cluster Wizard — Configure External User Database Page

FluidFS clusters support the following LDAP configurations:

• Anonymous LDAP – The connection from the FluidFS cluster to the LDAP servers is not authenticated. The data is sent in plain text.
• Authenticated LDAP – The connection from the FluidFS cluster to the LDAP servers is authenticated using a user name and password. The data is sent in plain text.
• LDAP over TLS/SSL – The connection from the FluidFS cluster to the LDAP servers is authenticated and encrypted. To validate the certificate used by the LDAP server, you must export the SSL certificate from the LDAP server and upload it to the FluidFS cluster.

Adding multiple LDAP servers ensures continued authentication of clients in the event of a resource outage. If the FluidFS cluster cannot establish contact with a server, it attempts to connect to the remaining servers.

1. In the Base DN field, type an LDAP base distinguished name to represent where in the directory to begin searching for users. The name is usually in the format: dc=domain,dc=com.
2. In the LDAP Servers text field, type the host name or IP address of an LDAP server and click Add. Repeat this step for any additional LDAP servers.
3. In the LDAP Servers area, define one or more LDAP servers.
   • To define an LDAP server, type the server host name or IP address in the field, then click Add.
   • To remove an LDAP server, select the server, then click Remove.
   • To increase or decrease the order of preference for an LDAP server, select the server, then click Up or Down.
4. (Optional) Configure the remaining LDAP attributes as needed. These options are described in the online help.
   • To indicate that Active Directory provides the LDAP database, select the Use LDAP on Active Directory Extended Schema checkbox.
   • To authenticate the connection from the FluidFS cluster to the LDAP server, select the Use Non-Anonymous LDAP bind checkbox. Then, type the LDAP bind distinguished name used to authenticate the connection in the Bind DN field and type the LDAP bind password in the Bind Password field.
   • To encrypt the connection from the FluidFS cluster to the LDAP server using TLS, select the Use TLS over LDAP checkbox.
   • To validate the certificate used by the LDAP server, select the Install LDAP Certificate checkbox. Then, click Upload Certificate and select the LDAP SSL certificate to upload to the FluidFS cluster.
5. Click Next. The Change Administrator Password page opens.