Is It Possible to Enhance Synology LDAP with C2 Identity?

For many years, Synology NAS has been a reliable solution for on-premises identity management. People can easily set them up with the help of the find.synology web URL. The NAS device has also facilitated LDAP servers for efficient user information replication and scheduled backups. This setup is crucial as it helps to maintain failover capabilities and ensures data integrity across multiple Synology LDAP servers.

But these days, the idea of integrating Synology’s C2 Identity cloud system with the existing LDAP infrastructure is being considered a game-changer. The reason being, it provides seamless user provisioning and password synchronization across various platforms.

Before we discuss more about this idea, you should know what the current LDAP on Synology NAS is and how it is helpful.

What is the Current LDAP Setup on Synology NAS?

The existing LDAP setup on Synology NAS plays a vital role in managing user identities within the organization. It ensures:

• Replication: Enables failover by replicating user information across multiple Synology LDAP servers.
• Scheduled Backups: Regular backups safeguard user data, allowing for recovery in case of data loss.

This infrastructure works very well and offers a robust and dependable identity management system. However, the integration of cloud-based identity management solutions like Microsoft and Google raises the need for a more interconnected system.

About Synology’s C2 Identity

Synology’s C2 Identity cloud system presents an opportunity to bridge the gap between on-premises LDAP servers and cloud-based identity management services. The proposed benefits of using C2 Identity include:

• Auto-Provisioning of Users: Streamlining user management by automatically provisioning users across all systems.
• Password Synchronization: Allowing users to change their passwords in one place, which then updates across Microsoft, Google, and Synology services.
• Simplified Future Migration: Keeping both systems independent to avoid proprietary lock-in and enabling easier migration paths in the future.

The integration of C2 Identity promises to enhance the existing setup, making it more efficient and user-friendly.

What are the Challenges to Enhance Synology LDAP with Synology C2?

If C2 cloud system is examined precisely, there are lot of challenges involved in enhancing the LDAP. The LDAP sync agent software provided by Synology is not designed to run on Synology NAS (DSM). Instead, it is only available for Windows or Ubuntu Linux. This limitation prevents the seamless integration that Synology NAS users expect from Synology’s ecosystem.

A Docker Container Solution can be Created

To address this challenge, a Docker container can be developed to run the C2 Identity LDAP sync agent on Synology NAS. This solution bypasses the need to set up a separate Linux or Windows machine solely for this purpose. The Docker container can be found on GitHub and has following benefits:

• Ease of Setup: Users can easily deploy the container on their Synology NAS, leveraging the existing infrastructure without additional hardware.
• Integration: The container integrates seamlessly with Synology NAS, enabling the use of the LDAP sync agent within the DSM environment.
• Efficiency: It simplifies the overall setup, reducing the administrative overhead associated with maintaining separate systems for identity management.

A Native Integration Can Also be Done

While the Docker container provides a workaround, the ideal solution would be for Synology to integrate the LDAP sync agent directly into the Synology LDAP server package. This native integration would offer several benefits:

• Streamlined Setup: Eliminates the need to re-enter LDAP details into the C2 Identity directory integration page. The Synology LDAP server would already have the necessary information.
• Simplicity: Users would only need to enter the C2 Identity token into the LDAP server to start the synchronization process.
• Consistency: Ensures consistent and reliable integration, fully leveraging Synology’s ecosystem.

The Conclusion

Integrating Synology’s C2 Identity cloud system with the existing LDAP infrastructure on Synology NAS presents a significant advancement in identity management. Despite the initial challenge of the LDAP sync agent not being compatible with DSM, the development of a Docker container offers a possible solution for Synology NAS users.