Windows® 2000 Active Directory™

Defining a Meta-Directory

When discussing a meta-directory strategy, it is important not to confuse the concept of a meta-directory with that of directory coexistence. In the case of a true meta-directory, there is a single directory (the meta-directory) that is integrated with other directories and that is the single point of contact for all directory clients—whether they be users, applications, or hardware. Figure 3.1 illustrates a meta-directory integrated into an infrastructure that includes other directories. The meta-directory is the single point of contact for all these directory users. The meta-directory then references the other directories to gain the necessary data.

This chapter primarily focuses on examples in which Active ...