Use external LDAP and MySQL

[jwilleke]

If there is already an LDAP server (not openLDAP) and an instance of MySql, how can Zimbra be configured to use these existing resources?

Thanks
-jim

[phoenix]

It can't, Zimbra is a complete integrated package and the components are tuned for Zimbra's needs. You can use an external LDAP for authentication & GAL.

[jwilleke]

Well that was an easy answer, but, if it is using LDAP calls, it should work.

The schema would need to be extended and perhaps some setup of the DIT, but it is "just" LDAP, Right?

And if it a MySQL server, then it is just SQL, Right?

So it should work.
And I would bet that the product would appeal to more organizations if there was this type of integration made available.

Thanks
-jim

[phoenix]

Zimbra is intended to be run on a dedicated server, not with other applications running on the same box. I'm sure that Zimbra know whether selling it as a complete package or separate components is cost effective, viable or appealing to customers. You only have to look at the people using Zimbra to see what they want from package. As I said the components are tuned for Zimbra, there's plenty of threads on the forum on this theme.

[scottalanmiller]

Actually, saying to look at the current customers to see what is desired in the product is just a marketing redirection. Current customers chose the system because it met their needs. Potential customers for whom the current architecture did not meet their needs went elsewhere. You can never, ever determine the market forces for a product via current customers but only by the customers you never get to speak to because they looked and then went with someone else.

But even so, are you sure that your current customers are happy with the architecture or are they just "happy enough?" I use Zimbra and I wish that I could run the database portion on a dedicated database server rather than on a "mixed use" Zimbra box. For example, we often run our databases on Solaris not Linux but we run our Zimbra on RHEL. We would prefer to have the option to place the MySQL instance on a Niagara processor-based Solaris server.

[useopenid]

I would add that as a zimbra user, I don't want to have a separately managed set of user authentication accounts. One instance happens to have an existing ldap server which we're using, but a new instance I'm setting up needs an sql backend, and it's rather a pain to graft ldap on top...