X-Git-Url: http://pere.pagekite.me/gitweb/homepage.git/blobdiff_plain/e934bed999bdfe5d2788e2bb5dd6212b311a9bad..60bf8a3f215da8c82ec727e3045793dea8edd5a8:/blog/archive/2009/03/index.html diff --git a/blog/archive/2009/03/index.html b/blog/archive/2009/03/index.html index 0539ca4c8f..e70ba10944 100644 --- a/blog/archive/2009/03/index.html +++ b/blog/archive/2009/03/index.html @@ -552,6 +552,144 @@ av en standard for at en standard skal kunne kalles fri og åpen.

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+
+ Time for new LDAP schemas replacing RFC 2307? +
+
+ 2009-03-29 20:30 +
+ +
+ +

The state of standardized LDAP schemas on Linux is far from +optimal. There is RFC 2307 documenting one way to store NIS maps in +LDAP, and a modified version of this normally called RFC 2307bis, with +some modifications to be compatible with Active Directory. The RFC +specification handle the content of a lot of system databases, but do +not handle DNS zones and DHCP configuration.

+ +

In Debian Edu/Skolelinux, +we would like to store information about users, SMB clients/hosts, +filegroups, netgroups (users and hosts), DHCP and DNS configuration, +and LTSP configuration in LDAP. These objects have a lot in common, +but with the current LDAP schemas it is not possible to have one +object per entity. For example, one need to have at least three LDAP +objects for a given computer, one with the SMB related stuff, one with +DNS information and another with DHCP information. The schemas +provided for DNS and DHCP are impossible to combine into one LDAP +object. In addition, it is impossible to implement quick queries for +netgroup membership, because of the way NIS triples are implemented. +It just do not scale. I believe it is time for a few RFC +specifications to cleam up this mess.

+ +

I would like to have one LDAP object representing each computer in +the network, and this object can then keep the SMB (ie host key), DHCP +(mac address/name) and DNS (name/IP address) settings in one place. +It need to be efficently stored to make sure it scale well.

+ +

I would also like to have a quick way to map from a user or +computer and to the net group this user or computer is a member.

+ +

Active Directory have done a better job than unix heads like myself +in this regard, and the unix side need to catch up. Time to start a +new IETF work group?

+ +
+
+ + + + Tags: debian, debian edu, english, nuug. + +
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+
+ +
+
+ Returning from Skolelinux developer gathering +
+
+ 2009-03-29 21:00 +
+ +
+ +

I'm sitting on the train going home from this weekends Debian +Edu/Skolelinux development gathering. I got a bit done tuning the +desktop, and looked into the dynamic service location protocol +implementation avahi. It look like it could be useful for us. Almost +30 people participated, and I believe it was a great environment to +get to know the Skolelinux system. Walter Bender, involved in the +development of the Sugar educational platform, presented his stuff and +also helped me improve my OLPC installation. He also showed me that +his Turtle Art application can be used in standalone mode, and we +agreed that I would help getting it packaged for Debian. As a +standalone application it would be great for Debian Edu. We also +tried to get the video conferencing working with two OLPCs, but that +proved to be too hard for us. The application seem to need more work +before it is ready for me. I look forward to getting home and relax +now. :)

+ +
+
+ + + + Tags: debian, debian edu, english, nuug. + +
+
+
+ +
+
+ Standardize on protocols and formats, not vendors and applications +
+
+ 2009-03-30 11:50 +
+ +
+ +

Where I work at the University of Oslo, one decision stand out as a +very good one to form a long lived computer infrastructure. It is the +simple one, lost by many in todays computer industry: Standardize on +open network protocols and open exchange/storage formats, not applications. +Applications come and go, while protocols and files tend to stay, and +thus one want to make it easy to change application and vendor, while +avoiding conversion costs and locking users to a specific platform or +application.

+ +

This approach make it possible to replace the client applications +independently of the server applications. One can even allow users to +use several different applications as long as they handle the selected +protocol and format. In the normal case, only one client application +is recommended and users only get help if they choose to use this +application, but those that want to deviate from the easy path are not +blocked from doing so.

+ +

It also allow us to replace the server side without forcing the +users to replace their applications, and thus allow us to select the +best server implementation at any moment, when scale and resouce +requirements change.

+ +

I strongly recommend standardizing - on open network protocols and +open formats, but I would never recommend standardizing on a single +application that do not use open network protocol or open formats.

+ +
+
+ + + + Tags: debian, english, nuug, standard. + +
+
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