Chapter 28. LDAP

The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP, pronounced ell-dap) is one of those technologies that, although hidden, forms part of the core infrastructure in enterprise computing. Its job is simple: It stores information about users. However, its power comes from the fact that it can be linked into dozens of other services. LDAP can power login authentication, public key distribution, email routing, and address verification and, more recently, has formed the core of the push toward single sign-on technology.

Tip

Most people find the concept of LDAP easier to grasp when they think of it as a highly specialized form of database server. Behind the scenes, ...

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