LDAP remains a stable and proven directory protocol—but it often struggles to meet modern requirements such as cloud-native architectures, SaaS integration, SSO, and MFA.
But does that mean you need to rip it out? Definitely not.
Let’s explore how to modernize your IAM by integrating Keycloak—without disrupting your current infrastructure.
Should you replace your LDAP with a modern IAM solution?
In most cases, replacing LDAP is unnecessary—and even risky. A better approach is to connect a modern IAM solution to your existing LDAP infrastructure.
By default, LDAP transmits credentials in cleartext unless TLS or LDAPS is explicitly configured. Many deployments still rely on outdated methods like unencrypted simple bind, which should be disabled. Tools like OpenLDAP now simplify TLS setup considerably.
LDAP is fundamentally a directory service and lacks native support for:
These require an external IAM layer (such as Keycloak). Without automation, user deletion in LDAP won’t propagate to connected applications.
LDAP struggles with modern architectures and protocols:
Bridging these gaps often requires custom connectors or enterprise solutions like Red Hat Directory Server—adding significant maintenance overhead. While LDAP replication (e.g., OpenLDAP MMR) works well at medium scale, multi-cloud environments complicate deployment.
LDAP remains useful as an identity source of truth, especially for legacy systems.
Instead of decommissioning LDAP, the better approach is to reposition it as the authoritative source of identity, used by an upper orchestration layer that centralizes access, federates identity sources, and enforces modern security policies.
Introducing an IAM layer enables centralized control, automation, and enforcement of identity lifecycle policies. It also simplifies federation across multiple identity providers—such as an internal LDAP directory, Azure AD for external collaborators, or Google Workspace for partners—through a unified interface. This mechanism, known as IdP brokering, has become essential in hybrid environments where identities are fragmented.
By integrating an IAM orchestration layer, Single Sign-On (SSO) becomes possible, allowing users to access all their applications through a unified portal, regardless of their original identity provider. IAM acts as a trusted intermediary that secures sessions, applies security policies like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) or geofencing, and passes the necessary attributes to applications. Meanwhile, LDAP remains shielded in the background, no longer directly exposed to applications.
Keycloak—an open-source Identity and Access Management solution—is particularly well-suited for identity brokering and orchestration. Natively supporting modern standards like OpenID Connect and SAML 2.0, Keycloak seamlessly integrates with LDAP and Active Directory, providing identity orchestration capabilities. Learn more about Keycloak’s features here.
Keycloak enables the creation of roles, the definition of contextual access policies, attribute mapping, and MFA enrollment. It can integrate with legacy applications (with adaptations if needed) and modern cloud platforms. Its robust API allows automation of provisioning and identity lifecycle management, as well as integration with external tools.
In this model, LDAP isn't phased out, but instead repositioned as a reliable and well-defined component. Keycloak synchronizes accounts from LDAP while keeping it hidden from direct exposure. This shift transforms LDAP from a standalone directory into a core part of an identity orchestration system.
It may be tempting to replace your LDAP directory with an out-of-the-box IAM solution to solve integration, security, and access management challenges all at once. But this radical approach comes with major, often underestimated risks—and can end up costing far more than a progressive integration.
LDAP still plays a critical role in identity governance. Unlike Keycloak, it often connects directly with HR systems (HRIS), managing employee lifecycles and entitlements. Its long-standing historical data is crucial for traceability and compliance.
Governance tools are already connected to LDAP, while business applications use Keycloak for authentication. The challenge lies in moving governance authentication to the cloud while preserving LDAP for its core governance functions. A cloud-hosted Keycloak instance offers a cost-effective alternative to Azure AD with comparable capabilities.
Instead of replacing your LDAP, it's often wiser to reposition it as a source of truth, orchestrated by a modern IAM solution. Keycloak stands out because it can natively federate with an LDAP directory—without requiring a large-scale migration. It acts as a gateway, natively exposing modern authentication and authorization protocols (OpenID Connect, SAML, OAuth2), centralizing access management, enforcing security policies (MFA, SSO, RBAC), while still relying on your existing LDAP for authentication and account federation.
To successfully integrate LDAP with Keycloak, it’s essential to prepare your infrastructure in advance and minimize potential downtime for your users.
The first critical step is to understand your directory’s structure and contents. Identify user and group hierarchies, attribute mappings, and any custom schema extensions. This mapping also helps uncover all applications and services that rely on the LDAP for authentication or access control. Without this detailed understanding, integration attempts may lead to service disruptions or identity management inconsistencies.
Once your directory is mapped, the next step is to decide how identities will sync between LDAP and Keycloak. There are two main approaches: full synchronization, where all user data is imported into Keycloak; and just-in-time (JIT) synchronization, where accounts are created on first login. The optimal strategy depends on directory size, access frequency, and performance requirements.
LDAP integration with Keycloak is a cross-functional project that touches many teams. Proactively managing risk and leading the change is crucial. That includes building a rollback plan in case of incidents, communicating clearly with IT and end users, and training administrators on new tools and processes. Human and organizational readiness is just as important as technical preparedness to ensure project success.
These three preliminary steps lay the groundwork for a smooth LDAP integration with Keycloak. Afterward, the focus shifts to more technical aspects: LDAP provider configuration, securing connections (TLS/LDAPS), attribute mapping, group and role management, performance tuning, error handling, password policies, log and audit management, and monitoring setup.
TL;DR
There’s no need to deprecate your LDAP infrastructure. Instead, integrate it with Keycloak to add modern IAM capabilities such as SSO, MFA, and fine-grained access control—without rebuilding your identity stack from scratch.
Ready to modernize your LDAP infrastructure? Our team can help you integrate, automate, and scale your IAM architecture—securely and efficiently.
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