Customize LDAP Device Provisioning

Scenario:

Your LDAP data sets do not conform with the client classes format that the Broadband Command Center DHCP service uses for device provisioning. For example, the field and value may be reversed.

Solution:

You can use a customized JavaScript to solve LDAP compatibility issues within the Broadband Command Center DHCP service. Incognito Software staff can work with your team to help create this script.

Example:

When provisioning devices using client classes, Broadband Command Center can directly read from your LDAP database in real time. The LDAP field names map to attributes containing values that name specific client classes (such as subnet rule or routing element).

Let’s assume that you have an LDAP field in the Broadband Command Center DHCP component called “Service Class” that can return fields that match the name of an existing client class in the service, such as Gold, Silver, and Bronze. This would enable you to identify the “Service Class” field as containing values for the correct client class. You could retrieve these records and the service would find the matching client class(es) and assemble options based on the match(es).

However, you may define your LDAP data set differently, where “Gold”, “Silver”, and “Bronze” are the field names, rather than the values. In this scenario, the values contained are either “enabled” or “disabled”. For example, the field that is normally “Service Class” is named “Gold” and the value that is normally “Gold” is called “Enabled” instead. See the tables below for an illustration of this comparison.

Table 1. Regular LDAP Client Classes in Broadband Command Center

Table 2. An LDAP data set that does not match the default settings in BCC

In this situation, it is not possible for the normal flow to work. However, this problem can be resolved simply with the use of customized scripts.

You can configure the DHCP service to execute a script between retrieving the values and processing them. The script’s contents could contain processing information that basically says, “Get the retrieved values for Gold and if the value is ‘enabled’, then set the value to ‘Gold’”.

This script will enable Broadband Command Center to get the value “Gold” instead of “enabled”. From there, it can match the client class to provision the device.

Current Provided JavaScript Methods for LDAP Device Provisioning

-hasAttribute

-getAttribute

-setAttribute

The integration of the JavaScript engine means that the script will be executed if a specific event occurs. In the future, the service may be expanded to extend beyond LDAP device provisioning. Click here to find out more about Broadband Command Center and its LDAP functionality.