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328    <h1>About</h1>
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334                <h2> Contents </h2>
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338<li class="toc-h2 nav-item toc-entry"><a class="reference internal nav-link" href="#what-is-freeipa">What is FreeIPA?</a><ul class="nav section-nav flex-column">
339<li class="toc-h3 nav-item toc-entry"><a class="reference internal nav-link" href="#resources">Resources</a></li>
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354  <section id="about">
355<h1>About<a class="headerlink" href="#about" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h1>
356<section id="what-is-freeipa">
357<h2>What is FreeIPA?<a class="headerlink" href="#what-is-freeipa" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h2>
358<p>FreeIPA is an integrated security information management solution
359combining Linux (Fedora), 389 Directory Server, MIT Kerberos, NTP, DNS,
360Dogtag (Certificate System). It consists of a web interface and
361command-line administration tools.</p>
362<p>FreeIPA is an integrated Identity and Authentication solution for
363Linux/UNIX networked environments. A FreeIPA server provides centralized
364authentication, authorization and account information by storing data
365about user, groups, hosts and other objects necessary to manage the
366security aspects of a network of computers.</p>
367<p>FreeIPA is built on top of well known Open Source components and
368standard protocols with a very strong focus on ease of management and
369automation of installation and configuration tasks.</p>
370<p>Multiple FreeIPA servers can easily be configured in a FreeIPA Domain in
371order to provide redundancy and scalability. The <a class="reference external" href="http://directory.fedoraproject.org/wiki/Main_Page">389 Directory
372Server</a> is the
373main data store and provides a full multi-master
374<a class="reference external" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightweight_Directory_Access_Protocol">LDAPv3</a>
375directory infrastructure. Single-Sign-on authentication is provided via
376the <a class="reference external" href="http://web.mit.edu/kerberos/">MIT</a>
377<a class="reference external" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerberos_%28protocol%29">Kerberos</a> KDC.
378Authentication capabilities are augmented by an integrated <a class="reference external" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certificate_authority">Certificate
379Authority</a> based
380on the <a class="reference external" href="http://pki.fedoraproject.org/wiki/PKI_Main_Page">Dogtag</a>
381project. Optionally <a class="reference external" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Name_System">Domain
382Names</a> can be
383managed using the integrated <a class="reference external" href="https://www.isc.org/software/bind">ISC
384Bind</a> server.</p>
385<p>Security aspects related to <a class="reference external" href="https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/7/html/Linux_Domain_Identity_Authentication_and_Policy_Guide/configuring-host-access.html">access
386control</a>,
387<a class="reference external" href="https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/7/html/Linux_Domain_Identity_Authentication_and_Policy_Guide/sudo.html">delegation</a>
388of administration tasks and other
389<a class="reference external" href="https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/7/html/Linux_Domain_Identity_Authentication_and_Policy_Guide/automount.html">network</a>
390<a class="reference external" href="https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/7/html/Linux_Domain_Identity_Authentication_and_Policy_Guide/user-keys.html">administration</a>
391<a class="reference external" href="https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/7/html/Linux_Domain_Identity_Authentication_and_Policy_Guide/selinux-mapping.html">tasks</a>
392can be fully centralized and managed via the <a class="reference external" href="https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/7/html/Linux_Domain_Identity_Authentication_and_Policy_Guide/using-the-ui.html">Web
393UI</a>
394or the <em>ipa</em> Command Line tool.</p>
395<section id="resources">
396<h3>Resources<a class="headerlink" href="#resources" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h3>
397<ul class="simple">
398<li><p>Most of our activity happens on the
399<a class="reference external" href="https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/freeipa-devel&#64;lists.fedorahosted.org/">freeipa-devel</a>
400and
401<a class="reference external" href="https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/freeipa-users&#64;lists.fedorahosted.org/">freeipa-user</a>
402mailing lists as well as on the #freeipa IRC channel on the
403<a class="reference external" href="irc://irc.libera.chat">irc://irc.libera.chat</a>.</p></li>
404</ul>
405</section>
406<section id="references">
407<h3>References<a class="headerlink" href="#references" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h3>
408<p>FreeIPA takes advantage of different technologies:</p>
409<ul class="simple">
410<li><p><a class="reference external" href="http://k5wiki.kerberos.org/wiki/Main_Page">MIT KDC</a> - core of the
411FreeIPA’s authentication.</p></li>
412<li><p><a class="reference external" href="http://directory.fedoraproject.org/">389 Directory Server</a> - back
413end where FreeIPA keeps all data.</p></li>
414<li><p><a class="reference external" href="http://pki.fedoraproject.org/wiki/PKI_Main_Page">Dogtag Certificate
415System</a> - FreeIPA
416includes CA &amp; RA for certificate management functions.</p></li>
417<li><p><a class="reference external" href="https://sssd.io">SSSD</a> - client side component that integrates
418FreeIPA as a authentication and identity provider in a better way
419than traditional NSS &amp; PAM.</p></li>
420</ul>
421</section>
422</section>
423</section>
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