Directory Server: LDAP

Overview

Everything is listed as objects (users, servers, stations, printers, applications, etc.) with attributes.

    eg.     object class: userid
             userid: erick
             dept: Engineering Computing
             type: staff

    eg.    object class: station
             station: maggot.uwaterloo.ca
             location: CPH 2374A
             nearest printer: laser@development

• answers questions like
  • who can use this application, or printer, or station
  • what are the settings for this station, or printer
  • which courses does this user take, where are the files stored, which departments can manage this user
• mostly queried at login time
• support for hierarchial management (dept/faculty)
• will replace Watstar I:STATION.DOC and AcctMan
• Windows2000's Active Directory
• platform agnostic data used by:
  • web forms - eg. laser account management
  • unix - eg. cron jobs doing daily maintenance
  • Win32 - user applications and system maintenance systems