Configuring ClickHouse to use LDAP for authentication and role mapping

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Not supported in ClickHouse Cloud

Note

This page isn't applicable to [ClickHouse Cloud](https://clickhouse.com/cloud). The feature documented here isn't available in ClickHouse Cloud services.
See the ClickHouse [Cloud Compatibility](/docs/whats-new/cloud-compatibility) guide for more information.

ClickHouse can be configured to use LDAP to authenticate ClickHouse database users. This guide provides a simple example of integrating ClickHouse with an LDAP system authenticating to a publicly available directory.

Configure LDAP connection settings in ClickHouse

## Configure LDAP connection settings in ClickHouse[​](#1-configure-ldap-connection-settings-in-clickhouse "Direct link to Configure LDAP connection settings in ClickHouse")

1. Test your connection to this public LDAP server:

   ```
   $ ldapsearch -x -b dc=example,dc=com -H ldap://ldap.forumsys.com
   ```

   The reply will be something like this:

   ```
   # extended LDIF
   #
   # LDAPv3
   # base <dc=example,dc=com> with scope subtree
   # filter: (objectclass=*)
   # requesting: ALL
   #

   # example.com
   dn: dc=example,dc=com
   objectClass: top
   objectClass: dcObject
   objectClass: organization
   o: example.com
   dc: example
   ...
   ```
2. Edit the `config.xml` file and add the following to configure LDAP:

   ```
   <ldap_servers>
       <test_ldap_server>
       <host>ldap.forumsys.com</host>
       <port>389</port>
       <bind_dn>uid={user_name},dc=example,dc=com</bind_dn>
       <enable_tls>no</enable_tls>
       <tls_require_cert>never</tls_require_cert>
       </test_ldap_server>
   </ldap_servers>
   ```

   Note

   The `<test_ldap_server>` tags is an arbitrary label to identify a particular LDAP server.

   These are the basic settings used above:

   |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
   | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
   | Parameter Description Example|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | host hostname or IP of LDAP server ldap.forumsys.com|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | port directory port for LDAP server 389|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | bind\_dn template path to users `uid={user_name},dc=example,dc=com`| enable\_tls whether to use secure ldap no|  |  |  | | --- | --- | --- | | tls\_require\_cert whether to require certificate for connection never | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

   Note

   In this example, since the public server uses 389 and doesn't use a secure port, we disable TLS for demonstration purposes.

   Note

   View the [LDAP doc page](/docs/operations/external-authenticators/ldap) for more details on the LDAP settings.
3. Add the `<ldap>` section to `<user_directories>` section to configure the user role mapping. This section defines when a user is authenticated and what role the user will receive. In this basic example, any user authenticating to LDAP will receive the `scientists_role` which will be defined at a later step in ClickHouse. The section should look similar to this:

   ```
   <user_directories>
       <users_xml>
           <path>users.xml</path>
       </users_xml>
       <local_directory>
           <path>/var/lib/clickhouse/access/</path>
       </local_directory>
       <ldap>
             <server>test_ldap_server</server>
             <roles>
                <scientists_role />
             </roles>
             <role_mapping>
                <base_dn>dc=example,dc=com</base_dn>
                <search_filter>(&amp;(objectClass=groupOfUniqueNames)(uniqueMember={bind_dn}))</search_filter>
                <attribute>cn</attribute>
             </role_mapping>
       </ldap>
   </user_directories>
   ```

   These are the basic settings used above:

   |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
   | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
   | Parameter Description Example|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | server label defined in the prior ldap\_servers section test\_ldap\_server|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | roles name of the roles defined in ClickHouse the users will be mapped to scientists\_role|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | base\_dn base path to start search for groups with user dc=example,dc=com|  |  |  |  |  |  | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | search\_filter ldap search filter to identify groups to select for mapping users `(&(objectClass=groupOfUniqueNames)(uniqueMember={bind_dn}))`| attribute which attribute name should value be returned from cn | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
4. Restart your ClickHouse server to apply the settings.

Configure ClickHouse database roles and permissions

## Configure ClickHouse database roles and permissions[​](#2-configure-clickhouse-database-roles-and-permissions "Direct link to Configure ClickHouse database roles and permissions")

Note

The procedures in this section assumes that SQL Access Control and Account Management in ClickHouse has been enabled. To enable, view the [SQL Users and Roles guide](/docs/operations/access-rights).

1. Create a role in clickhouse with the same name used in the role mapping section of the `config.xml` file

   ```
   CREATE ROLE scientists_role;
   ```
2. Grant needed privileges to the role. The following statement grants admin privileges to any user able to authenticate through LDAP:

   ```
   GRANT ALL ON *.* TO scientists_role;
   ```

Test the LDAP configuration

## Test the LDAP configuration[​](#3-test-the-ldap-configuration "Direct link to Test the LDAP configuration")

1. Login using the ClickHouse client

   ```
   $ clickhouse-client --user einstein --password password
   ClickHouse client version 22.2.2.1.
   Connecting to localhost:9000 as user einstein.
   Connected to ClickHouse server version 22.2.2 revision 54455.

   chnode1 :)
   ```

   Note

   Use the `ldapsearch` command in step 1 to view all of the users available in the directory and for all of the users the password is `password`
2. Test that the user was mapped correctly to the `scientists_role` role and has admin permissions

   ```
   SHOW DATABASES
   ```

   ```
   Query id: 93b785ff-1482-4eda-95b0-b2d68b2c5e0f

   ┌─name───────────────┐
   │ INFORMATION_SCHEMA │
   │ db1_mysql          │
   │ db2                │
   │ db3                │
   │ db4_mysql          │
   │ db5_merge          │
   │ default            │
   │ information_schema │
   │ system             │
   └────────────────────┘

   9 rows in set. Elapsed: 0.004 sec.
   ```

## Summary[​](#summary "Direct link to Summary")

This article demonstrated the basics of configuring ClickHouse to authenticate to an LDAP server and also to map to a role. There are also options for configuring individual users in ClickHouse but having those users be authenticated by LDAP without configuring automated role mapping. The LDAP module can also be used to connect to Active Directory.

- [Configure LDAP connection settings in ClickHouse](#1-configure-ldap-connection-settings-in-clickhouse)- [Configure ClickHouse database roles and permissions](#2-configure-clickhouse-database-roles-and-permissions)- [Test the LDAP configuration](#3-test-the-ldap-configuration)- [Summary](#summary)

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