Linux Administration: A Beginner's Guide, Eighth Edition, 8th Edition

CHAPTER
27	Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)

The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) has been referred to as many things, including “the best thing since sliced bread.” However, it is actually a set of open protocols used to access, query, and modify centrally stored information over a network. LDAP is based on the X.500 standard (X.500 is an International Organization for Standardization [ISO] standard that defines an overall model for distributed directory services) but is a more lightweight version of the original standard. RFC 4511 explains the relationship like so: “LDAP provides access to distributed directory services that act in accordance with X.500 data and service models.”

LDAP was developed by the University ...