Information On Ldap Directory Servers
As companies have grown, and moved from just using telephones to email and web based systems, so the humble telephone directory has needed to expand and grow. In the 1980s telecoms companies developed the X.500 specification, which is a collection of protocols to create and distribute a directory of information.
X.500 directory services were accessed via the X.500 Directory Access Protocol (DAP) which used the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) protocol stack. As companies [spi]began|started[/spin] to implement TCP/IP networks, many found the complexity of managing a large OSI/DAP network too much. The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) was developed to access X.500 directory servers over TCP/IP.
An LDAP server uses the concept of an organisational hierarchy to organise information, which can include usernames, telephone numbers, office locations, photos, and more. This directory structure can closely match a company's structure, making LDAP directories an obvious fit for replacing an organisation's phonebook. The initial X.500 specification was deliberately designed with this scalable organisation of information in mind, which is one of the main factors behind the success of LDAP.
With the development of Voice Over IP (VOIP) technologies an entire organisation's information can be held within LDAP, allowing access from email clients, instant messaging applications, and HR systems. Even products like Microsoft's Active Directory utilise LDAP and X.500 directory structures. LDAP's flexibility makes it an useful of any company infrastructure.
X.500 directory services were accessed via the X.500 Directory Access Protocol (DAP) which used the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) protocol stack. As companies [spi]began|started[/spin] to implement TCP/IP networks, many found the complexity of managing a large OSI/DAP network too much. The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) was developed to access X.500 directory servers over TCP/IP.
An LDAP server uses the concept of an organisational hierarchy to organise information, which can include usernames, telephone numbers, office locations, photos, and more. This directory structure can closely match a company's structure, making LDAP directories an obvious fit for replacing an organisation's phonebook. The initial X.500 specification was deliberately designed with this scalable organisation of information in mind, which is one of the main factors behind the success of LDAP.
With the development of Voice Over IP (VOIP) technologies an entire organisation's information can be held within LDAP, allowing access from email clients, instant messaging applications, and HR systems. Even products like Microsoft's Active Directory utilise LDAP and X.500 directory structures. LDAP's flexibility makes it an useful of any company infrastructure.
