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General User Authentication Information

For a simple set of configuration items for ALL types of User Authentication systems please refer here:

User Management in NMIS8

Setting up LDAP authentication

This document supersedes 'Configuring NMIS to use Active Directory Authentication (ms-ldap or ms-ldaps)' as of March 2024.


Retired configuration items

'auth_ldap_context' => 'ou=people,dc = example, dc = com',     # Merged with 'auth_ldap_base' .

'auth_method_1' => 'ms-ldap',  # 'ms-ldap'  is retired, use 'ldap' or 'ldaps' for secure.

'auth_ms_ldap_attr' => 'sAMAccountName',  # Use 'auth_ldap_attr'.

'auth_ms_ldap_base' => 'dc=corp, dc=example,dc=com',  # Use  'auth_ldap_base'.

'auth_ms_ldap_dn_acc' => 'CN=omklatam, ou = Services, dc = OPMANTEK, dc = corp',    # Use 'auth_ldap_acc'.

'auth_ms_ldap_dn_psw' => 'password,',    # Use 'auth_ldap_psw'.

'auth_ms_ldap_server' => 'host_LDAP: 389',   # Use 'auth_ldap_server'.

'auth_ms_ldaps_server' => 'host_LDAP: 636',   # Use 'auth_ldaps_server'.

'auth_ms_ldap_debug' => 'true'/'false',   # Use 'auth_ldap_debug'.


Outline of the current configuration items

'auth_method_1' => 'ldap',  # First type of Authentication can be followed by other types

'auth_ldap_attr' => 'sAMAccountName cn',  # Spare or comma separated list (often 'sAMAccountName', for Active Directory and 'cn' for standard LDAP.

'auth_ldap_base' => 'dc=corp, dc=example,dc=com',   # Base to search in LDAP

'auth_ldap_acc' => 'CN=omklatam, ou = Services, dc = OPMANTEK, dc = corp',   # The Admin read-only access distinctive name used to query the database.

'auth_ldap_psw' => 'password,',   # The Admin read-only access password used to query the database.

'auth_ldap_server' => 'host_LDAP: 389',  # The LDAP Server name and and port.

'auth_ldaps_server' => 'host_LDAP: 636',  # The LDAP Server name and and port for secure access.

'auth_ldap_debug' => 'true'/'false',  # How to enable debug mode to capture the LDAP Server output.


Aspects to consider:


NOTE on MS-LDAPS SSL

To use SSL/TLS secured LDAP (LDAPS) see the differences in the table in User Management in NMIS8 .

In summary it requires Optional Perl Modules: IO::Socket::SSL and Net::LDAPS and uses config items:
'auth_method_1' => 'ldaps'
'auth_ldaps_server' => 'host[:port]'    (note the s at the end of ldaps vs ldap)

If you use an internal CA for your AD LDAP SSL certificates you will need to import your internal root CA public certificates so that SSL can trust the connection.  Search processes for your NMIS servers OS.


LDAP Base: The base is the root of the Active Directory, since it is the place where the search of the users who need to authenticate will be carried out.Taking as reference the structure of the Active Directory will be as follows: 

'auth_ldap_base' => 'dc = OPMANTEK, dc = corp', #base to search in LDAP

'auth_ldap_context' => 'dc = OPMANTEK, dc = corp', # LDAP context

The account is the service account which user is going to authenticate with the active directory, to enable the search of the LDAP Database for users. 

Therefore, the first part is added is the service account username CN=omklatam

The second part is the OU = Servicescontainer. 

The third part is the domain DC = OPMANTEK and DC = corp.

The result would be the following: 

'auth_ldap_acc' => 'CN = omklatam, ou = Services, dc = OPMANTEK, dc = corp',


To find the user and group base DN, run a query from any member server on your Windows domain:

Finding the User Base DN

    1. Open a Windows command prompt.

    2. Type the command:

      dsquery user -name <known username>


      Example: If you are searching for all users named "John", you can enter the username as John* to get a list of all users who's name is John.

      The result will look like:

      "CN=John.Smith,CN=Users,DC=MyDomain,DC=com"


Installation and configuration.


  • Make sureNet :: LDAP is up to date (minimum version 0.64).

[root @ opmantek] #cpan Net :: LDAP

  • Make sure that IO :: Socket :: SSLis new enough (must be 1998 or newer).

[root @ opmantek] #cpan -f IO :: Socket :: SSL

Note:-f is because some tests do not pass on some machines.

  • Configuration items as above in /usr/local/nmis8/conf/Config.nmis
  • Perform procedure to add users through the GUI or through the conf/Users.nmios file, the User field for each user must match the User's "sAMAccountName" attribute in AD.  The Privilege should be set the appropriate Authorisation level.
  • See here for more information on NMIS User authorisation User Management in NMIS8#AuthorisationinNMIS



  • Try to access the credentials granted by the client in the NMIS portal.


Testing LDAP access


  • Perform the installation of the following packages for troubleshooting.

RedHat Based systems:

[root@opmantek] #yum -y install openldap-clients nss-pam-ldapd


Debian based Systems:

[root@opmantek] #apt  install libnet-ldap-perl 

  • Verify LDAP connectivity using ldapsearch, you will have to configure -H, -by -D, they can come from your current NMIS ldap configuration if you have a: -b is auth_ldap_base, -D isauth_ldap_dn_acc

ldapsearch -H ldap: // ip_LDAP: 389 -x -b "ou = User container, dc = domain, dc = domain" -D "cn = user_ldap, dc = domain, dc = domain" -w 'password_user' - ZZ -d 9

Note: Possibly it shows an SSL certificate error, this error is irrelevant since although the connection is shown it has been successful.



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