Book Description Understanding Directory Servicesclarifies the complex topic of directory services, starting with basic theory and archetypes, and then working its way up to the current directory service implementations. It describes the basic idea behind directory services, explaining the underlying conceptual models, design characteristics, and methods of managing distributed information. The book begins with an overview of directory services and their core characteristics, highlighting critical aspects of directory information, distribution, and storage. The evolving nature of the information the directory contains, and the factors involved in organizing and managing it are discussed in detail, and then methods of information distribution and storage are examined at length. After exploring the basics of directory service, the book progresses to in-depth chapters on each of the critical technologies being used to implement directory services: * The X.500standards are explained to help you understand the foundations of directory services and provide a basis for comparison of the other directory technologies. *Lightweight Directory Access Protocol(LDAP) and its emerging role as a directory access standard is described in detail, with thorough explanations of models, naming, and operations. *The Domain Name System(DNS) is examined from a directory service perspective, noting parallels in structures and operations. This knowledge of directory services is then used to describe the design of X.500 and LDAP based directory service products, as well as NDS eDirectory and Active Directory, highlighting the architectural and operational implications of vendor's design decisions. This book: * Explores X.500-based directory products (eTrust, DirX, Nexor), and highlights implementation approaches and capabilities. * Describes the LDAP-based directory products (OpenLDAP, SecureWay, iPlanet), identifying similarities and differences between them. * ExplainsNDS eDirectorydescribing the underlying directory architecture and its foundations in X.500, and its evolution from an NOS-based directory to a general purpose directory service. * Examines howActive Directoryintegrates NT 4, LDAP, and DNS technologies into a directory service that leverages established Windows networks. * Explores the information management issues that meta-directories (Siemens DirXmetahub, iPlanet meta-directory, Microsoft Meta-directory Services, Novell DirXML) are designed to address, and characteristics of different types of meta-directory solutions (as well as Radiant Logic'sRadiant Onevirtual directory server). * Identifies the design of XML-based directory markup languages that map directory schema, objects, and operations providing directory interoperability. The final chapter is focused on helping you evaluate directory services in the context of your business and network environment. Information, business, and network control factors are identified, and key factors in directory service assessment are explained. Understanding Directory Servicesis an excellent reference for directory service technologies that includes extensive references and aglossarycontaining 385 directory service terms. By explaining key directory technologies, and the integration of those technologies, this book provides the information you need to understand the design and operations involved in all directory services. From the Back Cover Understanding Directory Servicesis the most in-depth resource available on directory services theory, architecture, and design. It provides the conceptual framework and critical technical information for IT professionals who are using directory services in their networks or e-business solutions. The 1st edition of this book covered the underlying directory service technologies (X.500, LDAP, DNS), and integrated the information from a networking perspective with a special focus on eDirectory and Active Directory. The 2nd Edition extends this coverage to the LDAP-based directories (such as iPlanet and SecureWay) and the X.500-based enterprise directory services (including eTrust, DirX, and Nexor), as well as the emerging meta-directory technologies and products which are crucial to the integration of the multiple directories in an enterprise networking environment. By explaining the origins and technologies of directory services, and clarifying the integration of key directory technologies into network and e-commerce platforms,Understanding Directory Servicesgives you the information you need to understand the underlying design and operations involved in all directory services. Reviews of the first edition Warren E. Wyrostek -- MCP Magazine ...superb, comprehensive...highly recommend it to all network professionals...a must read for anyone wrestling with deploying a directory service... Douglas Ludens -- About.com ...clearly organized and well written...a great book, I highly recommend it...essential to doing well with Windows 2000...

“If you have any interest in writing .NET programs using Active Directory or ADAM, this is the book you want to read.” —Joe Richards, Microsoft MVP, directory services Identity and Access Management are rapidly gaining importance as key areas of practice in the IT industry, and directory services provide the fundamental building blocks that enable them. For enterprise developers struggling to build directory-enabled .NET applications, The .NET Developer’s Guide to Directory Services Programming will come as a welcome aid. Microsoft MVPs Joe Kaplan and Ryan Dunn have written a practical introduction to programming directory services, using both versions 1.1 and 2.0 of the .NET Framework. The extensive examples in the book are in C#; a companion Web site includes both C# and Visual Basic source code and examples. Readers will Learn to create, rename, update, and delete objects in Active Directory and ADAM Learn to bind to and search directories effectively and efficiently Learn to read and write attributes of all types in the directory Learn to use directory services within ASP.NET applications Get concrete examples of common programming tasks such as managing Active Directory and ADAM users and groups, and performing authentication Experienced .NET developers—those building enterprise applications or simply interested in learning about directory services—will find that The .NET Developer’s Guide to Directory Services Programming unravels the complexities and helps them to avoid the common pitfalls that developers face.

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is the standard for directory information access and is the underlying protocol for a variety of email systems, Web systems, and enterprise applications. LDAP enables central management of users, groups, devices, and other data, thereby simplifying directory management and reducing the total cost of ownership. Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services, written by the creators of the protocol, is known as the LDAP bible and is the classic text for learning about LDAP and how to utilize it effectively. The Second Edition builds on this success by acting as an exhaustive resource for designing, deploying, and maintaining LDAP directory services. Topics such as implementation pitfalls, establishing and maintaining user access to information, troubleshooting, and real-world scenarios will be thoroughly explored.

The Internet is connecting enterprises into a global economy. Companies are exposing their directories, or a part of their directories, to customers, business partners, the Internet as a whole, and to potential "hackers." If the directory structure is compromised, then the whole enterprise can be at risk. Security of this information is of utmost importance. This book provides examples and implementation guidelines on building secure and structured enterprise directories. The authors have worked with corporations around the world to help them design and manage enterprise directories that operate efficiently and guard against outside intrusion. These experts provide the reader with "best practices" on directory architecture, implementation, and enterprise security strategies.

Provides information on the features, functions, and implementation of Active Directory.