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RE: Authentication Methods for LDAP - last call



I really disagree with this notion of not mandating a particular mechanism.
I'd prefer to have the bar to high than not have one at all.  I'm sure that
some won't believe it, but just having to implement CRAM-MD5 will be quite a
big deal for some folks.

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Jonathan Trostle [SMTP:jtrostle@cisco.com]
> Sent:	Wednesday, August 05, 1998 10:06 AM
> To:	howes@netscape.com; S.Kille@isode.com
> Cc:	Chris.Newman@INNOSOFT.COM; ietf-ldapext@netscape.com
> Subject:	Re: Authentication Methods for LDAP - last call
> 
> I agree with Steve and John w.r.t. not mandating a particular mechanism.
> The 
> market will ultimately decide the mechanisms needed for interoperability
> (e.g., 
> a web server needs to support SSL). The main benefit of using open
> standards for 
> security is that the specification can be examined by many people and
> obvious 
> security holes can be discovered.
> 
> Jonathan
> 
> > X-SMAP-Received-From: outside
> > Resent-Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 00:43:05 -0700 (PDT)
> > From: Steve  Kille <S.Kille@isode.com>
> > To: Tim Howes <howes@netscape.com>
> > Cc: Chris Newman <Chris.Newman@INNOSOFT.COM>, ietf-ldapext@netscape.com
> > Subject: Re: Authentication Methods for LDAP - last call
> > Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 02:44:51 -0500 (Central Daylight Time)
> > X-Authentication: none
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> > Resent-From: ietf-ldapext@netscape.com
> > X-Mailing-List: <ietf-ldapext@netscape.com> archive/latest/619
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> > 
> > Tim,
> > 
> > I'd like to respond briefly to your summary.   To me, John Strassner's 
> > rebuttal of Chris Newman's message sets out clearly the case against a 
> > single mandtory authentication mechanism.
> > 
> > Basic LDAP client/server interoperability can be and is achieved 
> > without authententication.   I cannot see what specifying this single 
> > mandatory mechanism achieves.
> > 
> > If I had to pick a single mechanism it would be X.509 based.  Kerberos 
> > would be better than CRAM-MD5. 
> > 
> > Making CRAM-MD5 mandatory will promote an approach which a lousy choice 
> > for many many environments.  
> > 
> > To me the clear conclusion is that there should not be a mandatory 
> > mechansism.  
> > 
> > 
> > Steve Kille
> > 
> >