Central User Identify Management With FreeIPA

As open-source deployments grow across African tech hubs, managing user access, SSH keys, dynamic host groups, and PKI infrastructure across hundreds of Linux servers manually quickly becomes a security nightmare.

In the cloud you have Microsoft Entra ID etc, but we want to pursue the open-source solutions to limit costs and extend freedom and sovereignty. So, FreeIPA on-prem!

FreeIPA provides an enterprise-grade, open-source solution that combines 389 Directory Server (LDAP), MIT Kerberos, Dogtag Certificate System, and SSSD into an integrated identity and access management suite—serving as the open-source equivalent to Active Directory.

FreeIPA will form one of the basic business blocks we will use to do auth/authz with K8s and K8s workloads.

In this 60-minute deep-dive session, attendees will learn how to transition from fragmented server administration to unified Identity, Policy, and Audit (IPA) management. We will walk through real-world deployment patterns, cross-domain trust architectures, SSH key automation, and how to issue automated TLS certificates for internal infrastructure.

IS THIS FOR YOU?

• You manage Linux servers and want to simplify user access and identity management at scale.
• You work with open-source infrastructure and want to explore alternatives to proprietary identity solutions.
• You are interested in managing SSH keys, host groups, and PKI infrastructure across multiple Linux servers.
• You work with Kubernetes and want to understand how FreeIPA can support authentication and authorization for K8s and K8s workloads.
• You want to explore open-source solutions that can reduce costs while extending freedom and sovereignty.

AFTER 60 MINUTES, YOU WILL

• Understand how FreeIPA brings identity, policy, and audit management together in one integrated solution.
• Explore real-world FreeIPA deployment patterns and cross-domain trust architectures.
• Learn how to automate SSH key management across Linux infrastructure.
• Understand how to issue automated TLS certificates for internal infrastructure.
• See how FreeIPA can form a foundational building block for authentication and authorization with Kubernetes and K8s workloads.
• Walk away with a practical blueprint for securing Linux infrastructure at scale using 100% open-source software.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Pascal van Dam is a seasoned Linux and Kubernetes architect with expertise in cloud technologies. As a certified Linux Foundation trainer and IT Gilde Guru, he is experienced in making complex technical concepts accessible through a straightforward teaching approach. Drawing from extensive government and enterprise experience, Pascal brings a practical perspective to technology education and helps learners build skills they can apply in the real world.