Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services (2nd Edition)
| Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services > 2. A Brief History of Directories > Directory Services Future |
Directory Services Future
It is clear that directory services ” especially the open , general-purpose directories based on LDAP ”have a very bright future. We see a number of trends in the directory services marketplace :
Each of these important directory trends is discussed in greater detail in the following sections. Metadirectories as an Important Product Directory Category
Although nearly all new directory service deployments are based on LDAP, most organizations are not starting from scratch with their directory deployment. There are at least a handful and sometimes dozens of proprietary, outdated , or application-specific directories that the new directory service must coexist with. Because these legacy directories are difficult and expensive to replace, organizations are increasingly looking for ways to lower the costs associated with managing these redundant systems. One solution to this management problem is a metadirectory ”a directory service designed to aggregate and help manage a multitude of other systems. This topic is covered in greater detail in Chapter 22, "Directory Coexistence." Tighter Operating System Integration
Some directory vendors are tying the directory service and operating system tightly together. The most prominent example is the Microsoft Active Directory, which ships with Windows NT 5.0. Many of the operating system functions depend on the directory service, and in turn the directory service depends on the operating system. This kind of integration may make the system as a whole work better, but it has a disadvantage : For Microsoft's customers, the choice of directory service is tied to the choice of operating system. Thus, for different directory vendors, the level of operating system integration pursued and provided varies because of differences in customer base and target applications. Directories Are Making Operating Systems Less Important
Competing with the previous trend is the fact that, much as the Internet Web browser has diminished the importance of the desktop operating system, open standards “based directories are making network operating systems less important. Many services that were traditionally provided by an operating system, such as service location and naming, are now provided by LDAP directories. Applications can avoid tying themselves to a platform-specific set of APIs, and software vendors can provide a more portable set of tools for customers. More and more, applications ”instead of operating systems ”are driving the deployment of new directory services. When coupled with the emergence of platform- independent operating environments, such as those based on Java, this trend has the potential to significantly change how software applications are written and deployed. LDAP as a Database Access Protocol
Many applications that have relatively simple database needs are currently written to use a full-blown relational database. Database independence is surprisingly difficult to achieve; although there are several database-independent APIs to choose from, there is no standard protocol for database access. Some independent software vendors and developers within enterprises have discovered that LDAP can provide most of the database functionality needed by their applications. This discovery will broaden LDAP's influence. LDAP's Continued Dominance
LDAP directories continue to gain momentum and dominate the directory services space. In the standards area, LDAP is also flourishing, and a great deal of energy is being put into LDAPv3 and its extensions. Software vendors, customers, analysts, and users all see the benefits of open standards “based directories. Just as no one buys a Web browser that doesn't understand HTTP and HTML, no one purchases a directory service that does not understand LDAP. Directories Are Becoming Truly Ubiquitous
Finally, directories are everywhere. They are "moving down the network stack" as vendors of networking switches, routers, and other devices implement LDAP in our network infrastructure. Directories are also "moving up the network stack" and into desktop applications such as Web browsers and word processors. Millions of people access directories every day from their email clients and Web browsers. Corporate phone directories are among the most popular intranet applications; and, increasingly, server software can't function without a directory service. The powerful forces shaping the directory services landscape come from many sources. Whether you are deploying an LDAP directory service, writing directory services software, directory-enabling a network application or device, or just using directories, you, too, are contributing to the future of directories.
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Index terms contained in this sectiondatabases access protocols LDAP as directories future of continued LDAP dominance LDAP as database access protocol making operating systems less important metadirectories 2nd tighter OS integration trends 2nd future of directory services continuted LDAP dominance LDAP as database access protocol making operating systems less important metadirectories 2nd tighter OS integration LDAP as database access protocol metadirectories 2nd operating systems directory integration directory service takeovers protocols database access LDAP as trends directories 2nd continued LDAP dominance LDAP as database access protocol making operating systems less important metadirectories 2nd tighter OS integration
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