I think it is important to make a note about all of the people and places that have helped me ferret out a lot of this configuration.  I don’t find this stuff in a vacuum (like anything in the Open Source world), and find it quite important to give a nod where a nod is due.

First, to Turner Broadcasting who gave me my first shot at doing this in a relatively small environment.  There was a ton of time spent on the phone, in online forums, reading documentation, and the like.  Everything sort of proceeded from there.  I tried to get such a thing into the backend over at The Weather Channel, but the climate wasn’t right, and there was a great deal of change going on.  Trying to implement such a thing there just wouldn’t have worked out very well.

Next, to Incomm.  They needed a solution, and Brock (my boss) gave me ample time to get a lot of this together, and to do it right without interruption.  Big thanks there.

Finally, and most importantly, my best bud John Beamon.  He encountered and worked with LDAP long before I did.  And, while we have considerably different directories in place between our two mutual organizations, his help in putting together how all this works in my head has been invaluable.  I daresay I’ve been into his IM client twice (or more) often as he’d like, gave him props nowhere near as much as I should (like at all), and even with all his own work on his plate, he has helped me out immeasurably.  Add to that, he’s a long-time friend and fellow-minister, and that’s just good times right there.  They don’t come along like John very often, and I’m grateful to have him as both a friend and fellow nerd.

Kudos, JB!

I’m sure there’s still some inaccuracies here, and I’ll be sifting through all this as I continue to build and extend OpenLDAP in this environment.  Things will automagically correct before your eyes, most likely.  If you find anything that happens to scream “No!” to you, feel free to drop me a line, and I’ll be happy to make that change.

HappyLDAPping!