0

I know that there are several similar posts available discussing the same but I didn't find the answer for my case.

I have just basic idea of LDAP which we can get through google search like it is a directory database, used for hierarchical data and optimised for reads than writes. And of course LDAP is protocol to access the database.

A little background of problem:

  1. We have to create a presence service(publish-subscribe) for which we have to choose between a directory based DB and an RDBMS.
  2. The DB will be on cloud so if RDBMS is chosen it will be exposed as a Web Service and if a directory based is chosen it will be accessed via LDAP.

Service is a pub-sub model where each user may be a publisher with many subscriber and it may itself be subscriber. So, it is mn relationship.*

Now, I have two questions regarding the same.

  1. Can we model this in directory based database? I looked through the schemas but could not figure out how to do that.
  2. Second question is regarding the approach of accessing the data i.e. using LDAP or using web service. I don't know what are the advantages/disadvantages of using LDAP over usage of web service.

Appreciate any help.

Thanks

Pankhi
  • 1
  • 1

1 Answers1

0

Can we model this in directory based database? I looked through the schemas but could not figure out how to do that.

There isn't an existing schema for this that I'm aware of. All the schemas I've ever seen are for X.500 directory information, not messages or transactions.

I wouldn't give LDAP a moment's consideration for a publish/subscribe system. I wouldn't use a database either. I would use a messaging system, e.g. MQ.

Second question is regarding the approach of accessing the data i.e. using LDAP or using web service. I don't know what are the advantages/disadvantages of using LDAP over usage of web service.

LDAP isn't suitable anyway, and making this decision won't make it any more suitable.

user207421
  • 305,947
  • 44
  • 307
  • 483
  • Thanks EJP. OK, if there are no schemas available then it is fine. But I was thinking if any workaround is possible like storing the all the subscribers id in some single attribute or some other work around, don't know, just a naive thought. Another followup question- suppose I have a directory db in cloud, why we will choose web service to access it instead of directly accessing via LDAP? – Pankhi Feb 25 '15 at 05:10
  • Why? What is the possible attraction of LDAP for this scenario? It doesn't have the features you need, it doesn't have the schemas you need, why on earth would you even contemplate any kind of a workaround? It doesn't make sense. – user207421 Feb 25 '15 at 09:27
  • There's a 3GPP specification which proposes LDAP as backend. Please follow the URL if you wish [link](http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/129300_129399/129335/12.00.00_60/ts_129335v120000p.pdf). So, I was thinking if they are proposing then there must be some way or may be I have not understood the specification correctly. – Pankhi Feb 25 '15 at 15:11
  • So what part of your question isn't answered by that specification? – user207421 Feb 25 '15 at 23:05
  • Specification says to use LDAP to access the data but as you said I cannot use LDAP for my case. Second question -using LDAP or web service is just to know the pros and cons of both. – Pankhi Feb 26 '15 at 00:59
  • I didn't say you couldn't use it. I said I wouldn't give it a moment's consideration, and that it isn't suitable, but if you have to obey the specification you cited, you don't have any choice about it, so you have to do it their way, in which case I don't understand what your actual question is. – user207421 Feb 26 '15 at 07:01
  • My question is how.. I mean I couldn't understand how to represent this model in hierarchy or LDAP schemas and you too said that you are not aware of any schema which supports this. So, I am confused about how!!! The other part is we would not use it if we can convince that it does not provide any advantage over RDBMS and web service approach. Basically we are looking for pros and cons for both the approaches, Why and why not. – Pankhi Feb 27 '15 at 00:02
  • The *specification* lists the LDAP schemas. – user207421 Feb 27 '15 at 01:49
  • I was searching through and I found that we can have multi value attributes. I think I can achieve what I want with this. Can you tell me is there any limit on the number of attributes an entry can have? – Pankhi Feb 27 '15 at 02:19