Trouble Configuring LDAP Authentication

Good morning!

I just installed ProjectPier, and I'm quite happy with it so far.

I do have a question or two, regarding LDAP authentication. Whilst looking at the source code for the patch, we see this:

===================================================================
--- /trunk/language/en_us/administration.php (revision 2)
+++ /trunk/language/en_us/administration.php (revision 11)
@@ -47,5 +47,12 @@
'config option name theme' => 'Theme',
'config option desc theme' => 'Using themes you can change the default look and feel of ProjectPier',
-
+ 'config option name ldap_domain' => 'LDAP domain',
+ 'config option desc ldap_domain' => 'Your active directory domain',
+ 'config option name ldap_host' => 'LDAP host',
+ 'config option desc ldap_host' => 'Your active directory host name/IP',
+ 'secure ldap connection no' => 'No',
+ 'secure ldap connection tls' => 'Yes, use TLS',
+ 'config option name ldap_secure_connection' => 'Use secure LDAP connection',
+
// ProjectPier
'config option name upgrade_check_enabled' => 'Enable upgrade check',
Index: /trunk/application/models/users/User.class.php
===================================================================

Fair enough.

However, when we do LDAP authentication with our webapps, we have a special user with it's own Distinguished Name, that we use. This user has permission to check records against what's in AD, if you follow me.

It works like this, a user access the login page, and enters his username and password. Next, the application hits our domain controller with the distinguished name and password of that "special user" mentioned above, authenticates, and then checks the domain controller for the username of the person logging in, and verifies that the password entered is indeed correct.

That's how it normally goes.

Now, the code snipped above, for the LDAP patch is (obviously) engineered differently.

The name 'ldap_domain' and desc 'ldap_domain' confuse me. In times past, we use our domain "my-site.blah.mil" and that's fine, provided we specify a distinguished name, like so: "DC=my-site,DC=blah,DC=mil", and of course, the the DN of that special user we use in creating the initial connection.

Can you guys please clarify precisely what's needed, for the 'ldap_domain' and desc 'ldap_domain' values and the "Your active directory host name/IP" (that wouldn't be example_name/000.000.000.000 as in name/ipaddress literally would it?

I apologize if these are dumb questions.

Thanks for your time!