Feature Request: Secure LDAP Support in Google Cloud Identity/G Suite

[CHAadmin]

Google plans to release Secure LDAP for Cloud Identity and G Suite in the coming weeks. When Ravi Kumar, Product Manager for Google Cloud Identity, was asked about Meraki support for Secure LDAP he said that Google was working with the Meraki team, but the current limitation is Meraki's lack of support for the needed digital certificates issued by Google.

Please ask Meraki to support Secure LDAP through Cloud Identity/G Suite. HP/Aruba has already announced support for ClearPass authentication with Secure LDAP as the IdP. This would solve many problems for Google admins, especially those who work in education. 

[PhilipDAth]

I don't know anything about this.

Why would you want to use LDAPs instead of OAuth to a cloud provider?

[CHAadmin]

I believe it uses open protocols like OAuth. It’s main use is simplifying your Identity Management Platforms. In my case, as a G Suite for Education admin, all my students are strictly G Suite users. I don’t want to deal with the messiness of GCDS. With an MX security appliance, there is a local element to authentication because it will integrate ... I want that same user/group policy application for simplicity and consistency sake when my IdP is G Suite.

Simplifying identity and access management for more businesses

[MRCUR]

@CHAadmin I don't disagree with your FR at all, but GCDS is not "messy". It's pretty simple to setup, requires very little management once implemented (unless you make AD changes) and can easily allow for single identity management in AD. 

[CHAadmin]

Maybe "messy" was a poor choice of words.

A couple years ago, we did both hardware and software upgrades simultaeously. First, we replaced all aging Windows XP machines student's were using with Chromebooks and Chromeboxes. Second, we gave every student their own G Suite account (a change from student's being assigned generic "comp_xx" AD accounts every year if they were enrolled in a computer class). Now, every class is a computer class. Consequently, I've built out my G Suite IdP much more than AD, to the point where AD is stagnating, in terms of user accounts.

With GCDS, it's a one-way sync from AD to Google, and rather than export from Google and rebuild AD org structure with those exports, I'd just rather use G Suite as the native IdP. I hope I'm not alone in that. 🙂

[PhilipDAth]

Perhaps you should checkout Jump Cloud.

https://jumpcloud.com/

[CHAadmin]

Thanks! I did see that company in search results when I was trying to find more info on Google's Secure LDAP. Does Meraki support Jump Cloud?

[PhilipDAth]

I have not used it - but it they have come up repeatedly on this forum as solutions to different issues, so I would have to say yes.

I quick Google found this artile about integrating Meraki.

https://jumpcloud.com/engineering-blog/integrating-meraki/

[SCBTech]

A little late to the discussion, but I can confirm JumpCloud does indeed work with Meraki. We authenticate some users through their RADIUS service. It's pretty slick and doesn't require an on-prem AD.

[robby_barnes]

We are really hoping to use this as well in our business.  We're really trying to stay away from getting looped in to needing AD accounts for everyone, but we set up everyone with G Suite accounts.  We'd love to be able to use G Suite accounts rather than AD with Meraki