Json2Ldap

Json2Ldap
Developer(s)	NimbusDS
Stable release	3.0.2 / April 8, 2014
Operating system	Cross-platform
Platform	Java
Type	Middleware
License	Proprietary
Website	http://connect2id.com

Json2Ldap is a JSON-to-LDAP gateway software, written in Java and developed by Nimbus Directory Services.^[1] It provides a JSON-RPC 2.0 interface for web clients to access one or more LDAP v3 - compatible directories.^[2] The Json2Ldap web API supports the standard LDAP directory requests as well as several extended operations and controls.^[3]

Background

Json2Ldap was initially conceived as a lightweight JSON alternative to existing XML-based gateways for providing directory service access to web browsers. Its first official release was in May 2010.^[4] In May 2011 development of the software was passed to Nimbus Directory Services.^[5]

Interface specification

Json2Ldap provides a JSON web interface for establishing LDAP client connections to one or more directory servers.

Client web interface:

Version 2.0 of the JSON-RPC protocol.
Requests are accepted over HTTP POST.
Optional support for Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) requests.

Supported standard LDAP directory operations (as per RFC 4510):

Bind (authenticate): simple, plain SASL, digest MD5 SASL, anonymous
Search
Compare
Add a new entry
Delete an entry
Modify an entry
Modify distinguished name (DN)
Unbind

Supported extended LDAP operations:

Password Modify (RFC 3062)
StartTLS (RFC 4511)
Who am I (RFC 4532)

Supported extended LDAP controls:

Authorisation identity bind control (RFC 3829).
Server-side sorting of search results (RFC 2891).
Simple paged results (RFC 2696).
Virtual-list-view search control (draft-ietf-ldapext-ldapv3-vlv-09)
Sub-tree delete (draft-armijo-ldap-treedelete-02).

Non-standard extensions:

Secure Remote Password protocol (SRP-6a) authentication.

Example messages

Example request message

Example directory search request:

{ 
  "method"  : "ldap.search",
  "params"  : { "CID" : "096032ca-ca91-47eb-a366-143832ff4a26",
                "baseDN" : "ou=people,dc=my,dc=org",
	        "scope"  : "SUB",
		"filter" : "(givenName=Alice)" },
  "id"      : "0001",
  "jsonrpc" : "2.0" 
}

Example response message

Example directory search response:

{ 
  "result"  : { "objectClass" : [ "top", "person", "inetOrgPerson" ],
                "uid"         : [ "alice" ],
		"mail"        : [ "alice@wonderland.net" ],
		"sn"          : [ "Kingsleigh" ],
		"cn"          : [ "Alice Kingsleigh" ],
		"initials"    : [ "AK" ],
		"mobile"      : [ "+44 755 123 456" ] },
  "id"      : "0001",
  "jsonrpc" : "2.0"
}

System requirements

Json2Ldap is distributed as a Java web application archive (WAR) for deployment in a Java servlet container.^[6]

References

[1] "Announcement of Nimbus Directory Services taking over Json2Ldap development".

[2] "Network World, Security Identity Management Alert, 2010-07-20". 20 July 2010.

[3] "Json2Ldap web API".

[4] "Give your LDAP server a JSON front-end".

[5] "Announcement of Nimbus Directory Services taking over Json2Ldap development".

[6] "Json2Ldap system requirements".

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]