I realise this is a linux forum, but I am interested in knowing what other sys admins are using for a directory service? We are currently looking to migrate to a directory service for central management, but are looking at the pros and cons between active directory and openLdap (besides the obvious...Microsoft!).

We are looking to authenticate user's email logins, unix/linux logins and samba logins. All of our clients are XP and Mac clients.We are using Zimbra as our mail client.

Is OpenLDAP pretty difficult to implement?

Thanks,

There's less pointy-clicky stuff going for OpenLDAP. You will need to read
more. Chances are, however, that you'll actually understand what you're
doing (a knowledge of the underlying concepts helps - like people designing
a database after having read a book on the relational model, and then
implementing it in postgres, as opposed to someone starting to create
forms in access, and then ending up with something that's impossible to
maintain or retrieve information from sensibly).

We're using Novell's eDirectory, btw, which isn't quite as pointy-clicky
as MS AD, but has much going for it. It runs on Linux and varied Unices
to begin with ;}
[edit]
Plus it has built-in replication (with OpenLDAP you'll use
slurpd ... never tried it, can't say anything about its
reliability).
[/edit]


Cheers,
Tink