Overview
Increasingly, organizations are using Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directories as the nerve centers of their computing infrastructures. LDAP--the Internet standard for directory information access--now provides the naming, location, and security traditionally supplied by network operating systems.
In this expanded second edition of the seminal LDAP reference, Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services, three LDAP experts explain the protocol and how to apply it effectively in numerous network environments. The book begins with an introduction to directory services and LDAP, including coverage of LDAPv3 extensions and the Netscape Directory Server. It then moves on to explore:
- Designing directory services, including data sources, schema, naming, topology, replication, privacy, and security
- Deploying directory services, including establishing user access to information, implementation pitfalls, and cost analysis
- Maintaining directory services, including backup, disaster recovery, and troubleshooting
- Creating and enabling directory-service applications
- Integrating directory services
Full of practical implementation advice and real-world examples, Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services, Second Edition, will give you the necessary footing to successfully implement LDAP directory-service projects.
0672323168B03212003
This is the companion volume to the author``s prior publication, LDAP : Programming Directory-Enabled Applications with Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. While that edition focused on the LDAP API, tools and programming issues, this publication focuses on design, deployment and maintenance of directory services. Primarily intended for designers and administrators, this text assumes that you are familiar with networking concepts, performance issues and directory service requirements. LDAP is the standard for directory services in networked enterprises. In the past, these services were usually provided by network operating systems; directory services are fundamental to the management, security, operation and performance of all networked business enterprises.
Synopsis
This extensive guide explains the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) and its use in numerous network environments. The book begins with an overview and history of directory services and LDAP, and ends with three case studies. In between it offers guidance on designing, deploying, maintaining, and leveraging a directory service. The authors are IT designers and executives in the industry. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Bill Camarda
Imagine phones with no phone books and no 411. That's what it's like on most enterprise networks, which somehow survive with no directory services at all. But there's a change coming. LDAP, the open standard directory service protocol, is rapidly being adopted by virtually every new email system, and by many key enterprise apps. LDAP is certainly "lightweight" compared with its clumsy X.500 ancestor, but implementing it is no walk in the park. The solution: UNDERSTANDING AND DEPLOYING LDAP DIRECTORY SERVICES.
In this book, three prominent members of the LDAP standards community explain what LDAP services are, and how you can leverage them (in obvious and not-so-obvious ways). You'll learn how to define your directory requirements in detail, and design a directory service that meets them. Once you've done so, the book offers practical help for comparing "LDAP-compliant" products on features, management tools, reliability, performance, scalability, security, standards conformance, interoperability, cost, and other yardsticks.
Having chosen a vendor, you'll walk through piloting your application -- and testing it for performance, scalability, and reliability. Finally, the authors show how to put the system into production, keep it running smoothly and securely, provide for backups and disaster recovery, and make improvements over time. The final section of the book presents four thorough deployment case studies, showing how diverse organizations can use LDAP as a simple, versatile solution for a wide variety of problems -- including some you're probably facing right now.
Editorials
Bill Camarda
Imagine phones with no phone books and no 411. That's what it's like on most enterprise networks, which somehow survive with no directory services at all. But there's a change coming. LDAP, the open standard directory service protocol, is rapidly being adopted by virtually every new email system, and by many key enterprise apps. LDAP is certainly "lightweight" compared with its clumsy X.500 ancestor, but implementing it is no walk in the park. The solution: UNDERSTANDING AND DEPLOYING LDAP DIRECTORY SERVICES.In this book, three prominent members of the LDAP standards community explain what LDAP services are, and how you can leverage them (in obvious and not-so-obvious ways). You'll learn how to define your directory requirements in detail, and design a directory service that meets them. Once you've done so, the book offers practical help for comparing "LDAP-compliant" products on features, management tools, reliability, performance, scalability, security, standards conformance, interoperability, cost, and other yardsticks.
Having chosen a vendor, you'll walk through piloting your application -- and testing it for performance, scalability, and reliability. Finally, the authors show how to put the system into production, keep it running smoothly and securely, provide for backups and disaster recovery, and make improvements over time. The final section of the book presents four thorough deployment case studies, showing how diverse organizations can use LDAP as a simple, versatile solution for a wide variety of problems -- including some you're probably facing right now.