** start of X.500 Overview document Online Directory Services: X.500 User Overview University of Michigan Information Technology Division Reference R1124, September 1993 Table of Contents What Is X.500? U-M Campus Online Directory Accessing the X.500 Online Directory UM-X500 Client at "Which Host?" Access Through Gopher maX.500 Client for the Macintosh Using maX.500 in the Campus Computing Sites Setting Up maX.500 in Your Workplace Online Help ud and Other Unix Clients Finger Interface Access Through E-mail Making Changes to Your X.500 Entry Obtaining a Uniqname and Password Changing Your Information Adding Your E-mail Address Forwarding Service for E-mail Forwarding E-mail From MTS "Business Card" E-mail Address UM-ADDEMAIL Server Adding Your Nickname Concealing Your Home Address and Phone Number Forwarding E-mail When You Leave U-M Creating Groups Features That Support Groups Types of Group Members Help Consulting Workshop Documentation X.500 Services What Is X.500? X.500 is an international standard for providing online directory services. The X.500 network protocol is becoming known as a worldwide "phone book"-an online directory for electronic mail (e-mail) delivery systems and other applications that need directory service. Currently, about 30 countries in the world and over 100 organizations in the United States are part of an Internet-wide X.500 Online Directory. People at the University of Michigan and many other organizations are beginning to use X.500 to look up e-mail addresses, postal addresses, and phone numbers. U-M students, staff, and faculty can use X.500 to retrieve information about friends and colleagues locally and around the world. U-M Campus Online Directory Here at the University of Michigan, the Information Technology Division (ITD) has deployed an X.500 Online Directory, the U-M portion of which already contains an entry for most students, faculty, and staff members. The basic information listed for all faculty and regular staff is the same "white pages" information as that published once a year in the printed campus telephone book, The University of Michigan Directory. It includes name, business address and phone number, home address and phone number, and job title. Faculty and staff entries in the X.500 Online Directory are updated monthly from the Personnel Office's Staff Database. Student entries also contain name, campus address and phone number, home address and phone number, and title. Student information is updated several times a term from the Office of the Registrar's Student Characteristics Database. Accessing the X.500 Online Directory U-M students, staff, and faculty can read and update their X.500 entries in several ways. These range from UM-X500, a simple command-line interface modelled after the MTS User Directory, to maX.500, an easy-to-use application for the Apple Macintosh. UM-X500 Client at "Which Host?" UM-X500 is a text-only, command-line interface to the worldwide X.500 Online Directory. You can search the whole directory as well as make changes to your own entry using the UM-X500 client. The UM-X500 client is available by entering um-x500 at the "Which Host?" prompt. The basic command to look up your X.500 entry or someone else's at U-M is find. Using find you can search for X.500 entries by last name, firstname.lastname, or uniqname. Your searches can be exact or approximate. If only one entry matches your request, the system displays information for that entry. If more than one entry matches your query, the system presents a list from which you can select a specific entry. Here is a sample session where you're looking for someone named Barbara Jensen (your responses are in marked like this: response ): ^^^^^^^^ Which Host? um-x500 ^^^^^^^ <...header information...> X.500 UserDirectory vV30b1 (Tue Jul 27 10:50:16 EDT 1993) Enter a command. If you need help, type 'h' or '?' and hit RETURN. * find barbara.jensen ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "Barbara J Jensen" Aliases: Barbara Jensen Barbara J Jensen 1 Babs Jensen E-mail address: bjensen@terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu Fax number: +1 313 764 5140 Business phone: +1 313 747-4454 Business address: 535 W. William Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Home phone: +1 313 930-2936 Home address: 494 Waymarket Dr. Ann Arbor MI 48103 Title: Mythical Manager, Research Systems Unique name: bjensen Description: Mythical manager of the rsdd unix project I enjoy sailing in my spare time... By default, UM-X500 searches the U-M portion of the directory. To search organizations in the worldwide X.500 Online Directory, enter the cb (change search base) command. For a complete list of basic commands, enter help. Access Through Gopher X.500 is also available through UM-GOpherBLUE, ITD's popular Gopher server. You can access not only U-M's local portion of the X.500 Online Directory but also remote portions through a more general gateway that allows Gopher users to browse the worldwide X.500 directory. You can make changes to your own entry using Gopher. To access the service at the "Which Host?" prompt, enter um-gopherblue Then select "Phone Book (X.500)" from the UM-GOpherBLUE main menu. Or, look for this menu entry using any Gopher client software (for example, TurboGopher for the Macintosh). maX.500 Client for the Macintosh maX.500 is an X.500 Online Directory client program for the Macintosh that provides a Mac-like interface. maX.500 provides both read and write access to the campus portion of the directory, as well as read access to the worldwide X.500 Online Directory. Using maX.500, you can easily search an organization's online directory. You can quickly locate a colleague and find information such as an e-mail address, campus address, or telephone number. Using maX.500 in the Campus Computing Sites maX.500 version 2.0 is available for use on Macintosh computers in all of the Campus Computing Sites. To use maX.500 at the computing sites, double-click a series of folders in this order: Applications, Communication, maX.500. Finally, double-click the maX.500 icon to launch the program. Setting Up maX.500 in Your Workplace maX.500 is available for free from the U-M/Merit Macintosh software archives and through anonymous FTP in the file /x500/max500-2.0-umich.sea.hqx on the terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu host. (To find out how to transfer files using anonymous FTP on MTS, see Using FTP on MTS, Tutorial T7007.) To get started using maX.500 in your workplace, you will also need: * Apple Macintosh Plus or newer Macintosh running Apple System Software version 6.0.5 or later (including System 7). * Apple's MacTCP, a control panel for managing Internet protocol communications. MacTCP is available free of charge from the NUBS Computing Resource Site to all University-affiliated individuals. If you already use ITD-supported applications such as NCSA Telnet or Fetch, MacTCP is probably already installed on your machine and properly configured. If not, ask your system administrator for assistance or call an ITD consultant at 764-HELP. * TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) network connection. (For more information about TCP/IP connectivity at U-M, refer to U-M Campus Data Networking Guide: Internet Access From the University of Michigan, Reference R1090.) NOTE: To use maX.500 with a modem from your home, you need MacPPP to establish your TCP/IP network connection. MacPPP is available through anonymous FTP in the file /pub/ppp/macppp2.0.1.hqx from the merit.edu host. Installation instructions are in the file /pub/ppp/macppp.txt. If you want to make changes to your X.500 entry using maX.500, you will also need the Authentication Manager control panel. Authentication Manager is available through anonymous FTP in the file /x500/max500/authman-for-max500.sea.hqx on the terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu host. maX.500 Online Help Once maX.500 has launched, you can open online help in one of two ways, depending on whether your Macintosh is running System 6 or 7: * System 6- Choose maX.500 Help... from the the Apple menu. * System 7- Choose maX.500 Help... from the Help [?] menu. Click specific topics in the index on the left of your screen, and the corresponding help text will appear on the right. Or, if you prefer a paper copy to refer to, choose Print from the File menu. ud and Other Unix Clients Unix users have a variety of interface choices; there is a command-line client called ud, which runs under SunOS, Ultrix, AIX, and A/UX. ud is identical to the UM-X500 client. The ud client is available through anonymous FTP in the file /x500/ldap/ldap-3.0.tar.Z on the terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu host. A variety of clients for X Windows are also available as part of the publicly available ISODE release. Finger Interface The Internet finger protocol has long been used to obtain directory information from an individual host computer about users with accounts on that host. ITD has written a server that allows you to have read-only access to the U-M campus portion of the X.500 Online Directory by fingering the Internet host umich.edu. Finger clients are available for most platforms, including Macintosh, PC, Unix, and MTS. To access the U-M X.500 database from UM-MTS and search for a name (for example, Barbara Jensen), enter a command such as the following $finger barbara.jensen@umich.edu To finger someone from a Unix machine, enter finger barbara.jensen@umich.edu Access Through E-mail If you don't have access to X.500 through any of the methods just listed, you can send an e-mail message to namelookup@umich.edu. For example, a message with "find Barbara.Jensen" in the subject or text will cause the system to search the X.500 Online Directory and return information on all entries that match Barbara Jensen. This access is similar to the finger interface in that it is read-only and displays just campus addresses. Or, if you send a message with the word "help" somewhere in the subject or text of the message, you will automatically receive a reply that explains how to use this e-mail query service. Making Changes to Your X.500 Entry Looking yourself up in the X.500 Online Directory is a useful exercise to ensure that all information about you is accurate and as complete as you want it to be. You may want to change, add, or even delete information listed in the directory. You will need a uniqname and Kerberos password to make changes to your X.500 entry such as adding an e-mail address or a FAX number. Obtaining a Uniqname and Password A uniqname is a personal identifier that is required for many computing services on campus, such as using the Campus Computing Sites, accessing the Institutional File System (IFS), and changing your X.500 entry. To obtain a uniqname and password, students need to show their student ID cards. Faculty and staff need to show a picture ID (such as a driver's license) and a document indicating current affiliation with the University (such as an appointment letter or a staff ID card). You can go to any of these locations to get a uniqname: * ITD Accounts Office, Michigan Union Computing Site (faculty and staff can call the office at 764-8000) * NUBS Computing Resource Site * Angell Hall Courtyard Computing Site * Art & Architecture Computing Site * Learning Resource Center (LRC), 3950 Taubman Library * ITD Workshop Registration, 3001 School of Education Building (Engineering students should go to the CAEN Office, 229 Chrysler Center.) When you obtain a uniqname, it is automatically added to your entry in the X.500 Online Directory. Changing Your Information You may change most information in your entry except that in the common name and uniqname fields. However, changes made to any address, phone number, or title field will be overwritten by automatic updates from the Personnel and Registrar databases unless you disable this update feature; see "Concealing Your Home Address and Phone Number" below to find out how. You can make changes to your X.500 entry using any of these interfaces to the X.500 Online Directory: UM- X500, UM-GOpherBLUE (and other Gopher clients), maX.500, and ud. Adding Your E-mail Address ITD encourages everyone at U-M who uses electronic mail to register a current, local e-mail address in the X.500 Online Directory. Adding your e-mail address to this directory can make it easier for people on or off campus to contact you. (System administrators can arrange to have the addresses for e-mail users on their system entered into X.500 by sending e-mail to x500@umich.edu.) Even if you get your mail on UM-MTS and exchange mail almost exclusively with other UM-MTS users, consider adding your current e-mail address to your X.500 entry for the benefit of any future correspondents who may try to reach you from off campus but may not know which machine you're using. In your X.500 entry, register the one local e-mail address where you actually read your mail. For example, if you read mail on UM-MTS, enter your um.cc.umich.edu address; if you read mail on a CAEN machine, enter your address at engin.umich.edu. Forwarding Service for E-mail If you register your current e-mail address in the X.500 Online Directory, you can give correspondents an Internet address in either of two forms: firstname.lastname@umich.edu, which is easy for your correspondents to remember, or uniqname@umich.edu, which is the shorter form using your uniqname. If you change the machine on which you read your mail in the future, you need only update your e-mail address in your X.500 entry to have your mail forwarded to the mailbox on the actual computer from which you read your mail. WARNING: Do not enter your umich.edu address in the e- mail address field of your X.500 entry, or your mail will enter a loop until it is sent to the Postmaster as undeliverable. Be sure to enter your local e-mail address instead. For example, Barbara Jensen recently moved her mail from the UM-MTS host to a Unix system. As one step in doing this, Barbara entered her new local e-mail address (bjensen@terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu) in her X.500 entry. Barbara can now give correspondents her uniqname mail address: bjensen@umich.edu, which is easier to remember than her old MTS address: barbara.jensen@um.cc.umich.edu or the address on her current Unix mail machine: bjensen@terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu. The next time Barbara changes the machine on which she reads her mail, she only needs to update the e-mail address field of her X.500 entry to have her mail forwarded correctly. Forwarding E-mail From MTS Because Barbara formerly read mail on the UM-MTS host, she used the MTS User Directory MODIFY command to forward all mail sent to her on UM-MTS to her new X.500 address (bjensen@umich.edu). At the MTS User Directory asterisk (*) prompt, she entered *modify barbara.jensen mailname=bjensen@umich.edu By doing this, her current correspondents on the UM-MTS system don't have to change the way they address e-mail to her. (For more information about using the User Directory, refer to The MTS User Directory, Tutorial T7014.) "Business Card" E-mail Address Once you have entered your local e-mail address, you will be able to use a single, permanent e-mail address (in the form name@umich.edu), no matter where you move within the University. This standardized e-mail address reduces the need to reprint business cards, stationery, and other supplies should your current e- mail address change. Before printing your business cards, be sure to send yourself a test e-mail message to make certain you have the correct address. UM-ADDEMAIL Server ITD provides an easy-to-use server at the "Which Host?" prompt to help you add your e-mail address to the X.500 Online Directory. The UM-ADDEMAIL server can be used by anyone who has a uniqname and Kerberos password. (The server explains how to get a uniqname and password if you don't have them, or see "Obtaining a Uniqname and Password" above.) MTS users should find the server especially helpful. Once you have provided your MTS userID, the server will look up your e-mail address for you so you'll know what to put into the X.500 Online Directory. To use the UM-ADDEMAIL server at the "Which Host?" prompt, enter um-addemail and follow the directions displayed on your screen. You can also access this server through UM-GOpherBLUE. At the "Which Host?" prompt, enter um-gopherblue and then select "Phone Book (X.500)" from the main menu. Next, select "Add Your Electronic Mail Address." Adding Your Nickname The common name or "Also Known As" field of your X.500 entry contains your formal names as you are known by Personnel or the Office of the Registrar. For e-mail security reasons, you cannot edit the common name field, even with a Kerberos password; only the staff who maintain the directory can edit this field. You may want to add your nickname to the common name field so your friends can find you more easily in the X.500 Online Directory. For example, if you are known officially as Barbara Jensen, but your friends all know you as Babs Jensen, you may want to have this nickname added to the directory. Then your friends could send you mail at the babs.jensen@umich.edu address. If you want to have your nickname(s) added to this field, you must send a message to nicknames@umich.edu. Be sure to include your uniqname or University ID number with your request to ensure proper identification of your entry. Concealing Your Home Address and Phone Number Your home phone number and address are available in the X.500 Online Directory unless you have told the University that you don't want this information published. To conceal this information, you can do one of two things: * If you don't want your home address and phone number to appear in the printed directory or in X.500, fill out a new Form 30005 (faculty or staff) or Change of Address card (students), and check the box that keeps your home phone and address from being published in the next issue of the printed directory. Additionally, this information will be excluded from the X.500 Online Directory the next time the database undergoes its regular update from records provided by Personnel or the Registrar. Faculty and staff can obtain a copy of Form 30005 from their departmental secretary. Students can pick up a Change of Address card in the lobby of the LS&A Building and drop it off at the General Information Window in the lobby or in the Registrar's drop box there. * If you want your home address and phone number to appear in the printed directory but not in X.500, you can delete them from your X.500 entry and disable the system's "automatic update" feature. When the update feature is disabled, information from Personnel and the Registrar will no longer be automatically entered into the X.500 Online Directory. If you don't disable the update feature, the changes you make to your entry will be overwritten the next time X.500 is updated. Use one of these two methods to disable the automatic update feature: - In UM-X500, when you use the change command to make changes to your entry, choose "Automatic updates" and select "no". - In maX.500, click the Updates... button and then check the "Do Not Update My Entry From Personnel or The Registrar" box. Note that changes you make to your X.500 entry are not automatically sent back to Personnel or the Registrar, so you will have to notify them directly. When you edit your address(es) or phone number(s) in your X.500 entry, either disable the update feature or submit a new Form 30005 or Change of Address card. Forwarding E-mail When You Leave U-M When you leave the University, you may make a special request to have your X.500 entry remain in the database for up to a year. This service provides you the opportunity to have your e-mail forwarded to your new location until you can notify all your correspondents. Student entries remain in the X.500 Online Directory for a year after the last term in which the students are registered, thus accommodating those who go home for the summer, take a term or two off for an internship, and so on. Faculty and staff entries, on the other hand, are normally deleted as soon as Personnel receives notice of termination. However, faculty and staff can request the same year-long forwarding service as students. If you are interested in this e-mail forwarding service, send a message to x500@umich.edu. Creating Groups An important feature of the X.500 Online Directory at the University of Michigan is support for creating and maintaining groups of people. The most common use of a group is for electronic mail purposes. For many years, MTS users have been able to create and maintain message groups (electronic mailing lists) with the MTS User Directory. These message groups have provided a quick, easy way to send the same message to several people at once. Now you can use X.500 to manage groups that others can use, even if they do not use the MTS Message System and User Directory. You can create and maintain groups using any of these interfaces to the X.500 Online Directory: UM-X500, UM- GOpherBLUE (and other Gopher client software), maX.500, and ud. Features That Support Groups Support for electronic mail groups in the campus portion of the X.500 Online Directory includes these features: * You can create e-mail groups yourself and delete groups you have created. * When you create a message group, you cannot interfere with another user's personal mail, because the X.500 mail-handling software always gives preference to an individual's entry over a group entry with the same address. * Not only can the group's creator add you to a group, but you can join and resign from a group yourself, if the group's creator allows. * By default, groups have a list maintainer who receives mail-delivery error messages, as well as mail addressed to group-request@umich.edu (where "group" is the group name). * Groups can be members of other groups. * Group members can (but don't have to) be listed in the University's X.500 Online Directory; the only requirement to add someone to a group is an Internet address. However, to join a group yourself, you must have an X.500 entry. Types of Group Members Three kinds of entries may appear in the member list of an X.500 group: * "Subscribers" are individuals or groups listed in the X.500 Online Directory who have added their names to a group that the group's owner has opened to general membership. (These groups are marked as "joinable.") * "X.500 members" are individuals or groups listed in the directory who are added to a group by its creator. * "E-mail members" are individuals or groups who need not appear in the X.500 Online Directory. A group owner can add them to the group with their Internet e- mail addresses. Help Consulting If you have problems using X.500, send e-mail to online.consulting@umich.edu or call the ITD consultants at 764-HELP. Send general comments and questions about X.500 to x500@umich.edu. Workshop ITD offers a workshop called U-M Campus Information Environment that discusses the X.500 Online Directory. It presents an overview of the many ways to locate, access, retrieve, and store information of all kinds within the U-M campus networking environment. See the course guide, ITD Non-Credit Computing Courses on Campus, Reference R1046, for more information about this and other workshops. Documentation You can get copies of this document (Online Directory Services: X.500 User Overview, Reference R1124) at the Campus Computing Sites, or contact the ITD Documentation Support Staff (itd.doc@umich.edu or 763- 8961) to have a copy sent to you in campus mail. This document is also available through anonymous FTP in the file /x500/overview.txt on the terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu host. X.500 Services Here is a summary of e-mail addresses for particular X.500 services, along with the page number in this document where you can find more information about the service. * X.500 Service * E-mail Address Help with using X.500 online.consulting@umich.edu E-mail query service namelookup@umich.edu For system administrators to add e-mail addresses x500@umich.edu Adding your nickname nicknames@umich.edu Forwarding your e-mail when you leave U-M x500@umich.edu ** end of X.500 Overview document