Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Security Handbook

What Is X.500?

A directory is like a telephone book in that it can contain a large amount of valuable information, organized in such a manner that makes it easy to locate a specific kind of data. It is unlike a telephone book in that it is organized in a hierarchical fashion that makes it easy to

• Locate information by specifying its name in the directory. This is similar to using the White pages of a phone book.

• Locate information by searching the directory even when you do not know the exact name, label, or whatever that you are looking for. This is similar to using the Yellow pages of a phone book.

• Manage information by placing controls on who can read, modify, add to, or delete records in the directory.

An early version of the X.500 standards ...