LDAP from ASP.Net

[Max]

Even if I've lot of experience with dotnet programming (web and desktop),
I'm new to LDAP stuff.
One of my customers would like my web application to read LDAP directory to
provide authentication, to avoid rewriting user data into an sql table. So
I'm looking into dotnet DirectoryServices, but before getting crazy on my Xp
pc:

Is this possible to see something on an Win XP professional, or I need to
test only on a Windows Server 2003? Are the users defined on an XP machine
making part of an LDAP system, or it is a totally different thing, so I will
never get anything ?

Thank you
Max

[Marc Scheuner]

>Even if I've lot of experience with dotnet programming (web and desktop),

>I'm new to LDAP stuff.
Is this possible to see something on an Win XP professional, or I need to
test only on a Windows Server 2003? Are the users defined on an XP machine
making part of an LDAP system, or it is a totally different thing, so I will
never get anything ?

The local user store on a Windows machine is not part of the LDAP
world - it's the "SAM" (Security Account Mgmt) world, accessible
through the WinNT: provider.

You can install a stripped-down version of LDAP - AD Lightweight
Directory Services (AD LDS) - formerly known as AD/AM - Active
Directory / APplication Mode - onto a XP box and it runs as a service
in the background. However, it's stripped down in that it doesn't work
as an authentication provider. But the basic mechanisms of accessing
an LDAP user account etc. are all in place and fully functional. You
can even install several instances of AD LDS onto your machine, if
need be.

More info on AD/AM (Win Server 2003):

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...m/default.mspx

More info on AD LDS (Win Server 2008):
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb897400.aspx

Cheers!
Marc