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Using LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)

Use of the LDAP allows you to search for and auto-fill directory information when you are addressing an e-mail message within a desktop e-mail application.

Regardless of which mail program you are using, all you need to know to configure your mail program to use BU's LDAP server are the following three settings:

1. Name ldap.bu.edu (or anything, such as BU LDAP SERVER)
2. Hostname ldap.bu.edu
3. Base DN o=Boston University,c=US (Make sure o is the small letter o, not the number 0.)


The instructions below will be helpful in finding where to put these three settings, but they may not be necessary and are not routinely updated:

Outlook 2007

These instructions are specific to Outlook 2007. If you are using Outlook Express or Outlook 2003 or an earlier version, please read that section instead.

  1. Open Outlook 2007 and go to Tools -> Account Settings, then click on the Address Books tab. Click the New... button.
  2. Select Internet Directory Service (LDAP) and click Next.
  3. Type ldap.bu.edu for the server name, then click the More Settings... button.
  4. Click the Search tab at the top of the More Settings window. Click the radio button next to Custom and enter o=Boston University,c=US exactly as shown.
  5. Click OK and Finish to get back to the LDAP window. You should see now see that you have added an ldap.bu.edu entry like the one below. You may need to quit and restart Outlook 2007 for the settings to take effect.

Outlook 2003

1. Open Outlook and choose Tools-Email Accounts .

2. Opt to Add a new directory or addressbook and click Next.

3. Indicate that you are using LDAP and click Next.

4. Provide the Server Information as ldap.bu.edu and then click on the More Settings button.

5. On the Search tab, the search string to enter exactly as written here is
o=Boston University, c=US
(Make sure o is the small letter o, not the number 0.)

6. Choose Apply, OK, Next and Finish and you should be all set!

Outlook Express/Windows Mail

1. Open Outlook and choose Accounts from the Tools menu.

2. Click on the Directory Service area and click on Add. From the menu off of the Add button, choose to add Directory Service.

3. Indicate that the LDAP server is ldap.bu.edu and click on Next.

4. In the next dialog box, you can leave the default "No" (for faster performance) or check "Yes" (which will allow you to find addresses while addressing a message). Click on Next.

5. Then, click on Finish.

6. Next, click on ldap.bu.edu in the listing and click on the Properties button.

If you wish to, you can give the directory a name that will be more useful than ldap.bu.edu. For example, BU LDAP.

7. Next, click on the Advanced tab and fill in the Search base as o=Boston University, c=US. (Make sure o is the small letter o, not the number 0.) Then, click on Apply and OK and Close.

8. You can then use LDAP to search for people using the Find People button in your Address Book.

Netscape 7 or Mozilla Thunderbird

1. Open the Address Book.

2. Within the Address Book, choose File->New->LDAP Directory.

3. Complete the following information and click on OK. (Make sure o is the small letter o, not the number 0.)

Name ldap.bu.edu
Hostname ldap.bu.edu
Base DN o=Boston University,c=US

Apple Mail (Mac OS X)

  1. From the Mail menu, choose Preferences and then (at the top of the window) click Composing.
  2. Select "Automatically complete addresses" and then click the Configure LDAP button.
  3. Click the Add (+) button to add an LDAP server.
  4. Enter the BU LDAP information below:
    Name: BU LDAP server (or anything you want)
    Server: ldap.bu.edu
    Search Base: o=Boston University,c=US (no spaces and make sure o is the small letter o, not the number 0.)
    Apple Mail image
  5. Click Save and then close Mail Preferences.
  6. Now when you type a name in the To field of a new message, Mail searches the BU LDAP directory and suggests a list of names that match what you typed.

Entourage (Mac)

  1. Open Entourage, then go under the Tools menu and choose Accounts.
  2. Click on the Directory Service tab.
  3. Click the New button and fill out the [Directory Service] Account Settings as below. The LDAP server name is ldap.bu.edu and it does not require authentication.
  4. Now click on the Options tab and fill out the settings below.
  • Increase the Search timeout from "Short" to somewhere more in the middle.
  • Search base is o=Boston University, c=US
    (make sure o is the small letter o, not the number 0.)
  • You MUST check "Use simple search filter" — otherwise, Entourage cannot communicate with the BU LDAP servers and you will get an error message.
  • Click OK when you are done, and the service will be set up.

Using the BU LDAP service in Entourage, now that you have set it up

  1. When you are filling in a To: or Cc: field in a message and want to look up a name or e-mail address, type what you know, then click the Check Names button.
  2. Entourage will return a list of matches from the BU directory, and you may select the one you want. (In the picture below, we are not displaying the e-mail addresses for privacy resasons, but in reality, they will be shown alongside the names.)

 

Eudora (PC)

Please note: Eudora is no long officially supported by the IT Help Center. This information is provided here just for your convenience.

1. Load Eudora and choose Directory Services from the Tools window.

2. In some versions of Eudora, the part of the window that you need to work in may be hidden so that you may only be seeing the Query screen. If this applies to you, expand the Directory Services window by stretching it out from the bottom right corner, so that the Protocols and Databases screens are visible.

3. Under Protocols, scroll to find and select the word "LDAP" and click on the New Database € button.

4. Click on the Network tab and complete it as follows:

5. Then click on the Search Options tab and complete it as follows. (Make sure o is the small letter o, not the number 0.) Then click on OK.

 

6. (Scroll to find) and click to make a check mark next to BU LDAP in the Configured Servers area.

7. To use LDAP in Eudora, enter the name you are searching œUser name for next to Query and click on Start.

 

Eudora (Mac)

Please note: Eudora is no long officially supported by the IT Help Center. This information is provided here just for your convenience.

1. Go to Special-Settings and set up the Directory Services as follows. (The complete syntax for the Directory Services setting is partially hidden in the following screen shot. It should read: ldap://ldap.bu.edu/o=Boston University, c=US where o is the letter o not the number 0.)

2. Find â the addresses of people on the BU network by choosing Window-Directory Services on the menu, type in the name of the person you are looking for, and click on Lookup.

Note: If there is more than one result from your search, the e-mail address may not be displayed. Search again on the *exact* name of the person you are looking for (their name as displayed in the directory) and you should then get the e-mail address and full directory entry.