log errors regarding "can't contact ldap server"

["Mike Partyka" <mike.partyka@stonepath.com>]

Hello,

We have a working LDAP directory that is a piece of a SuSE mail server
product called Openexchange. It uses it's local ldap directory for
authentiction and is working but i am concerned about frequent and rapid
error's i see in the warn and messages logs. Here is a couple of them:

Oct 29 12:14:46 mailman lmtpd[16574]: nss_ldap: could not get LDAP result -
Can't contact LDAP server
Oct 29 12:14:46 mailman lmtpd[16574]: nss_ldap: could not get LDAP result -
Can't contact LDAP server
Oct 29 12:14:47 mailman lmtpd[17856]: nss_ldap: could not get LDAP result -
Can't contact LDAP serve

There are several hundred of these entries every day. I have read on one or
two sites that this could be caused by the IP address not being listed in
the ldap.conf file. When   I look at that file the HOST parameter in this
file has only "localhost" listed. I could add the hostname or the IP
addresss to this parameter but i have also read that a LDAP directory can be
a security risk if available on the net. I am guessing that the HOST
parameter the way it is set right now will only respond to authentication
requests from the localhost. So by listing the IP address in this file i
could eliminate the error but make the server vulnerable to outside attack.

Can someone who is more knowledgable about LDAP tell me if i am on the right
track in resolving these errors? And maybe make a suggestion about how to
stop them?

Thanks,

Mike Partyka
Stonepath Logistics
Systems Administrator
(651)405-4300 Desk
(651)208-5734 Cell
(651)405-4342 Fax