register-ds-admin.pl and Remote Servers


Overview

Previous versions of register-ds-admin.pl only allowed you to register local Directory Servers with an Admin Server/Configuration Server. New to 389-admin-1.1.36, you can now register with remote servers. In order to register with, or to, a remote server, both systems need to have an Admin Server installed that is registered with its local Directory Server configuration instance. The Configuration Instance, or Configuration Server, is the Directory Server instance that contains the “o=netscaperoot” suffix.

Additionally the “silent” install/mode for those script was not fully implemented. The new script can now be run completely without being prompted for data using an “.inf” file.

Use Cases

Allowing remote servers to be registered with the Configuration Server will allow a single Admin Server/Console to manage all the Directory/Admin Servers in your network. There is no longer a need to login into a separate Admin Server/Console for individual systems. This makes managing a large deployment much easier, and centralized.

Design

Remote Registration

Remote 389 deployments can now be registered with a local Configuration Server, or a local server can be registered on a remote Configuration Server. It is important to note, all the systems involved must have an Admin Server installed, along with a configuration Directory Server instance. If running the script on a system where an Admin Server is not yet installed, the script will create the admin server, and register it with a local Directory Server instance. However, the script can not remotely install an Admin Server - so any remote system must always have a Admin Server installed.

Here is a image showing two separate systems being managed under one Admin Server/Configuration Server

Silent Mode

The script can now be run in “silent” mode using an “.inf” file. There are three types of registration processes to consider. One, registering a local Directory Server instance with a local Admin Server. Two, taking a standalone instance, adding the configuration suffix o=netscaperoot, and creating an admin server. Three, registering with, or to, a remote Configuration Server. Here are examples of an “.inf” file for each type:

Register Local Instance with Existing Configuration Server/Admin Server

This example adds/registers a standalone instance (slapd-instance) to the local Configuration Server (slapd-configInstance)

register.inf

[General]
FullMachineName= localhost.localdomain
SuiteSpotUserID= dirsrv
SuiteSpotGroup= dirsrv
AdminDomain= example.com
ConfigDirectoryAdminID= cn=directory manager
ConfigDirectoryAdminPwd= password
ConfigDirectoryLdapURL= ldap://localhost.localdomain:389/o=NetscapeRoot

[register]
configinst= slapd-configInstance::cn=directory manager::password
localinst= slapd-instance::cn=directory manager::password

Create the Admin Server and convert a standalone instance into a Configuration Server

This example takes a single instance on a system, and creates an Admin Server (see the [admin] directive) and turns the Directory Server instance into a Configuration Instance. The end result is as if you ran setup-ds-admin.pl the first time the instance was installed.

register.inf

[General]
FullMachineName= localhost.localdomain
SuiteSpotUserID= dirsrv
SuiteSpotGroup= dirsrv
AdminDomain= example.com
ConfigDirectoryAdminID= cn=directory manager
ConfigDirectoryAdminPwd= password
ConfigDirectoryLdapURL= ldap://localhost.localdomain:389/o=NetscapeRoot

[admin]
Port= 9830
ServerIpAddress= 127.0.0.1
ServerAdminID= admin
ServerAdminPwd= password

[register]
configinst= slapd-standaloneInstance::cn=directory manager::password

Register the Local Configuration Server with a remote Configuration Server

This example demonstrates the versatility of this tool. In this case we are taking a local Configuration Server, and adding it to a remote Configuration Server. We are also registering a standalone instance (slapd-standalone) with the local Configuration Server prior to registering with the remote configuration server. So two things are happening, we are adding/registering a standalone instance to the local Configuration Server. Then we are registering the local Configuration Server, which now includes slapd-standalone, with a remote Configuration Server.

register.inf

[General]
FullMachineName= localhost.localdomain
SuiteSpotUserID= dirsrv
SuiteSpotGroup= dirsrv
AdminDomain= example.com
ConfigDirectoryAdminID= admin
ConfigDirectoryAdminPwd= password
ConfigDirectoryLdapURL= ldap://localhost.localdomain:389/o=NetscapeRoot


[register]
configinst= slapd-localhost::cn=directory manager::password
localinst= slapd-standalone::cn=directory manager::password
remotehost= hp-dl380pgen8-02-vm-11.lab.bos.redhat.com
remoteport= 636
localcertdir= /etc/dirsrv/slapd-localhost
remotebinddn= cn=directory manager
remotebindpw= password
admindomain= beaker.com
admindn= uid=admin,ou=Administrators,ou=TopologyManagement,o=NetscapeRoot
adminpw= password
destination= remote

Silent Install INF Register Parameters

Here is a detailed explanation of the parameters in the “register” directive section:

Implementation

None

Major configuration options and enablement

None

Replication

None

Updates and Upgrades

None

Dependencies

None

External Impact

None

Author

mreynolds@redhat.com

Last modified on 1 March 2024