Configuring a Read-Write LDAP User Store

User management functionality is provided by default in all WSO2 Carbon-based products and is configured in the user-mgt.xml file found in the <PRODUCT_HOME>/repository/conf/ directory. This file is shipped with user store manager configurations for all possible user store types (JDBC, read-only LDAP/Active Directory, read-write LDAP and read-write Active directory). The instructions given below explains how to configure a read-write LDAP as the primary user store for the WSO2 server.

The default User Store

The primary user store that is configured by default in the user-mgt.xml file of WSO2 products is a JDBC user store, which reads/writes into the internal database of the product server. By default, the internal database is H2. This database is used by the Authorization Manager (for user authentication information) as well as the User Store Manager (for defining users and roles). In the case of the WSO2 Identity Server, the default user store is an LDAP (Apache DS) that is shipped with the product.

Note that the RDBMS used in the default configuration can remain as the database used for storing Authorization information.

Follow the given steps to configure a read-write LDAP as the primary user store:

Step 1: Setting up the read-write LDAP user store manager

Before you begin

If you create the user-mgt.xml file yourself, be sure to save it in the <PRODUCT_HOME>/repository/conf directory.
The class attribute for a read-write LDAP is <UserStoreManager class="org.wso2.carbon.user.core.ldap.ReadWriteLDAPUserStoreManager">

Once the above points are made note of and completed, you can start configuring your external read-write LDAP as the primary user store.

Enable the <ReadWriteLDAPUserStoreManager> user store manager class in the user-mgt.xml file by uncommenting the relevant code. When it is enabled, the user manager reads/writes into the LDAP user store.

Note that these configurations already exist in the user-mgt.xml file so you only need to uncomment them and make the appropriate adjustments. Also ensure that you comment out the configurations for other user stores that you are not using; in short, you can only configure one primary user store.

The default configuration for the external read/write user store in the user-mgt.xml file is as follows. You may have to change some of these values according to your requirements. For more information about each of the properties used in the user-mgt.xml file for configuring the primary user store, see Properties of User Stores.

<UserStoreManager class="org.wso2.carbon.user.core.ldap.ReadWriteLDAPUserStoreManager">
   <Property name="TenantManager">org.wso2.carbon.user.core.tenant.CommonHybridLDAPTenantManager</Property>
   <Property name="ConnectionURL">ldap://localhost:${Ports.EmbeddedLDAP.LDAPServerPort}</Property>
   <Property name="ConnectionName">uid=admin,ou=system</Property>
   <Property name="ConnectionPassword">admin</Property>
   <Property name="PasswordHashMethod">SHA</Property>
   <Property name="UserNameListFilter">(objectClass=person)</Property>
   <Property name="UserEntryObjectClass">wso2Person</Property>
   <Property name="UserSearchBase">ou=Users,dc=wso2,dc=org</Property>
   <Property name="UserNameSearchFilter">(&amp;(objectClass=person)(uid=?))</Property>
   <Property name="UserNameAttribute">uid</Property>
   <Property name="PasswordJavaScriptRegEx">[\\S]{5,30}</Property>
   <Property name="UsernameJavaScriptRegEx">[\\S]{3,30}</Property>
   <Property name="UsernameJavaRegEx">^[^~!@#$;%^*+={}\\|\\\\&lt;&gt;,\'\"]{3,30}$</Property>
   <Property name="RolenameJavaScriptRegEx">[\\S]{3,30}</Property>
   <Property name="RolenameJavaRegEx">^[^~!@#$;%^*+={}\\|\\\\&lt;&gt;,\'\"]{3,30}$</Property>
   <Property name="ReadGroups">true</Property>
   <Property name="WriteGroups">true</Property>
   <Property name="EmptyRolesAllowed">true</Property>
   <Property name="GroupSearchBase">ou=Groups,dc=wso2,dc=org</Property>
   <Property name="GroupNameListFilter">(objectClass=groupOfNames)</Property>
   <Property name="GroupEntryObjectClass">groupOfNames</Property>
   <Property name="GroupNameSearchFilter">(&amp;(objectClass=groupOfNames)(cn=?))</Property>
   <Property name="GroupNameAttribute">cn</Property>
   <Property name="SharedGroupNameAttribute">cn</Property>
   <Property name="SharedGroupSearchBase">ou=SharedGroups,dc=wso2,dc=org</Property> 
   <Property name="SharedGroupEntryObjectClass">groups</Property>
   <Property name="SharedTenantNameListFilter">(object=organizationalUnit)</Property>
   <Property name="SharedTenantNameAttribute">ou</Property>
   <Property name="SharedTenantObjectClass">organizationalUnit</Property>
   <Property name="MembershipAttribute">member</Property>
   <Property name="UserRolesCacheEnabled">true</Property>
   <Property name="UserDNPattern">uid={0},ou=Users,dc=wso2,dc=org</Property>
</UserStoreManager>

To read and write to an LDAP user store, it is important to ensure that the ReadGroups and WriteGroups properties in the <PRODUCT_HOME>/repository/conf/user-mgt.xml file are set to true.
```
<Property name="ReadGroups">true</Property>
<Property name="WriteGroups">true</Property>
```
Set the attribute to use as the username, typically either cn or uid for LDAP. Ideally, <Property name="UserNameAttribute"> and <Property name="UserNameSearchFilter"> should refer to the same attribute. If you are not sure what attribute is available in your user store, check with your LDAP administrator.
```
<Property name="UserNameAttribute">uid</Property>
```

Specify the following properties that are relevant to connecting to the LDAP in order to perform various tasks.

<Property name="ConnectionURL">ldap://localhost:${Ports.EmbeddedLDAP.LDAPServerPort}</Property>
<Property name="ConnectionName">uid=admin,ou=system</Property>
<Property name="ConnectionPassword">admin</Property>

Set the ReadGroups property to 'true', if it should be allowed to read roles from this user store. When this property is 'true', you must also specify values for the GroupSearchBase, GroupSearchFilter and GroupNameAttribute properties. If the ReadGroups property is set to 'false', only Users can be read from the user store. You can set the configuration to read roles from the user store by reading the user/role mapping based on a membership (user list) or backlink attribute as shown below.

To read the user/role mapping based on a membership (This is used by the ApacheDirectory server and OpenLDAP):
- Enable the ReadGroups property.
```
<Property name="ReadGroups">true</Property>
```
- Set the GroupSearchBase property to the directory name where the Roles are stored. That is, the roles you create using the management console of your product will be stored in this directory location. Also, when LDAP searches for users, it will start from this location of the directory. For example:
```
<Property name="GroupSearchBase">ou=system,CN=Users,DC=wso2,DC=test</Property>
```
- Set the GroupSearchFilter and GroupNameAttributes. For example:
```
<Property name="GroupSearchFilter">(objectClass=groupOfNames)</Property>
<Property name="GroupNameAttribute">cn</Property>
```
- Set the MembershipAttribute property as shown below:
```
<Property name="MembershipAttribute">member</Property> 
```
To read roles based on a backlink attribute, use the following code snipet instead of the above:
```
<Property name="ReadGroups">false</Property>
<Property name="GroupSearchBase">ou=system</Property>
<Property name="GroupSearchFilter">(objectClass=groupOfNames)</Property>
<Property name="GroupNameAttribute">cn</Property>
<Property name="MembershipAttribute">member</Property>

<Property name="BackLinksEnabled">true</Property>
<Property name="MembershipOfAttribute">memberOf</Property> 
```

Step 2: Updating the system administrator

The admin user is the super tenant that will be able to manage all other users, roles and permissions in the system by using the management console of the product. Therefore, the user that should have admin permissions is required to be stored in the user store when you start the system for the first time. Since the LDAP user store can be written to, you have the option of creating a new admin user in the user store when you start the system for the first time. Alternatively, you can also use a user ID that already exists in the LDAP. For information about the system administrator user, see Configuring the System Administrator.

These two alternative configurations can be done as explained below.

If the user store is read-only, find a valid user that already resides in the user store. For example, say a valid username is AdminSOA. Update the <AdminUser> section of your configuration as shown below. You do not have to update the password element as it is already set in the user store.
```
<AddAdmin>False</AddAdmin> 
<AdminRole>admin</AdminRole> 
<AdminUser> 
 <UserName>AdminSOA</UserName> 
 <Password>XXXXXX</Password> 
</AdminUser>
```
If the user store can be written to, you can add the super tenant user to the user store. Therefore, <AddAdmin> should be set to true as shown below.
```
<AddAdmin>true</AddAdmin> 
<AdminRole>admin</AdminRole> 
<AdminUser> 
 <UserName>admin</UserName> 
 <Password>admin</Password> 
</AdminUser>
```

Step 3: Starting the server

Start your server and try to log in as the admin user you specified in Step 2.