---
title: conf/authenticators
slug: ps/help/en_us/vtm/config/confauthenticators
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-08-02T08:50:32.348Z
---

The conf/authenticators directory contains configuration files for external authenticators. The name of a file is the name of the authenticator it defines. Authenticators can be configured under the Catalogs > Authenticators section of the Admin Server UI or by using functions under the Catalog.Authenticators section of the SOAP API and CLI.

| Key                | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| host               | The hostname or IP address of the remote authenticator.<br />Value type: string<br />Default value: \<none>                                                                                                                         |
| ldap!attr          | A list of attributes to return from the search. If blank, no attributes will be returned. If set to '\*' then all user attributes will be returned.<br />Value type: list<br />Default value: \<none>                               |
| ldap!bind!dn       | The distinguished name (DN) of the 'bind' user. The traffic manager will connect to the LDAP server as this user when searching for user records.<br />Value type: string<br />Default value: \<none>                               |
| ldap!bind!password | The password for the bind user.<br />Value type: password<br />Default value: \<none>                                                                                                                                               |
| ldap!filter        | The filter used to locate the LDAP record for the user being authenticated. Any occurrences of '%u' in the filter will be replaced by the name of the user being authenticated.<br />Value type: string<br />Default value: \<none> |
| ldap!filter!basedn | The base distinguished name (DN) under which user records are located on the server.<br />Value type: string<br />Default value: \<none>                                                                                            |
| ldap!ssl           | Whether or not to enable SSL encryption to the LDAP server.<br />Value type: Yes / No<br />Default value: "No"                                                                                                                      |
| ldap!ssl!cert      | The SSL certificate that the traffic manager should use to validate the remote server. If no certificate is specified then no signature validation will be performed.<br />Value type: string<br />Default value: \<none>           |
| ldap!ssl!type      | The type of LDAP SSL encryption to use.<br />Value type: enumeration<br />Default value: "ldaps"<br />Permitted values:<br />ldaps: LDAPS<br />starttls: Start TLS                                                                  |
| note               | A description of the authenticator.<br />Value type: string<br />Default value: \<none>                                                                                                                                             |
| port               | The port on which the remote authenticator should be contacted.<br />Value type: unsigned integer<br />Default value: "389"                                                                                                         |