20
Feb
08

LDAP authentication and Moodle

moodle1.png openldap.png

I now have the Moodle server authenticating users against our Windows 2003 domain controller, and things are working great. The bind settings were a bit tricky because we have teachers, students and staff in different OUs, but thankfully Moodle allows users to define more than one OU, as well as search through subcontexts.

subcontexts.png

Other LAMP/WAMP systems rarely offer this sort of flexibility in their configuration options and require some tweaking of the PHP code to get it to work properly. Moodle has a decent tutorial on their site discussing the configuration necessary to configure LDAP authentication in Moodle if you want more information.

Now, when users log in for the first time, profile information is automatically populated by the user data in Active Directory. Users only need to fill in a few missing pieces of data and are ready to use Moodle. Using LDAP helps in 2 ways:

  1. It helps to reduce the number of different login credentials that users must keep track of.
  2. It helps to reduce the likelihood of garbage data and spelling errors ending up in Moodle user profiles.

All in all, it was relatively easy. If you need help working through the steps, let me know.

Jason


2 Responses to “LDAP authentication and Moodle”


  1. 1 Shatheesh
    March 18, 2009 at 4:19 pm

    Sir,

    I am working as a network manager at Eastern University Srilanaka. i cam install a linux boox with moodle. i have a problem with moodle to authenticate against windows. When i tried to authenticate only users belongs to User builtin grop.

    I am unable to authenticate other OU as we have hierarchy of OF for staffs and students.

    Could you please let me know how to configure this.

    Thank you

  2. July 14, 2009 at 9:41 pm

    I work for a K – 8 district and we are having a problem when trying to get Moodle to bind with AD. IS there anything you can do to help us??


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About this Blog

I will be reflecting on issues surrounding educational technology, 1-to-1 laptop programmes, Moodle, open-source, Web 2.0 and management issues, all from the perspective of a Director of Educational Technology in Khartoum, Sudan.