Ldap

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol The LDAP is an improvement of a 1993 lightweight protocol brainchild, Lightweight Directory Browsing Protocol. With the increase in the scope of the protocol to directory update services beyond directory browsing and searching, the name became LDAP. The overriding purpose for the development of LDAP was to allow access for X. 500 directory services through the TCP/IP protocol. X. 500 consists of computer networking standards specifically in the area of directory services protocols. This paper examines various aspects of the LDAP protocol.
Keywords: LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
Why LADP is not in wide usage for business and personal use
The principal use of the LDAP would be for browser side applications with no directory access support, of which there are few. Therefore, the need to use LDAP becomes largely unnecessary. In its goal to remain lightweight, LDAP does not include a security or encryption service, and with the increasing concerns about network security, this option makes it use less prevalent among businesses and individual users (Gracion Software, 2011).
Deciding factors for making LDAP an open protocol
An open source protocol allows user contribution to the software development. When LDAP became open source, the developers intended to eliminate dependence on a select group of vendors and increase the usability options for the internet directory service (Arkills, 2003). By making LDAP an open protocol system, it enabled its usage and faster advancement in a still developing computing field of internet directory services.
Benefits of LADP to the User
LDAP is a lightweight directory management program, meaning that it makes minimal use of the system resources. In addition, apart from offering the traditional directory management tasks, LDAP allows directory update tasks. For many organizations with online directories offering selective access to information, LDAP is quite useful as it allows authentication for access to directory services alongside update services in accordance to user preferences. Finally, LDAP helps computers within a network to perform such tasks such as self-authentication to other computers in the network, configure the network environment, and manage access privileges (Arkills, 2003).
Greatest Beneficiaries of LADP
The use of LDAP is more appropriate for organizations that run online directories. LDAP helps manage directories, especially with regard to update and validation of access by the authorized users (Arkills, 2003). The LDAP is more beneficial to programmers with interest in developing internet directories using C and C++ programs. These programmers usually work with corporate clients such as businesses in creating effective and easy to manage directory systems.
Conclusion
LDAP is an open protocol directory service system that helps clients access, manage, and update networks over TCP/IP protocols. However, LDAP is lightweight, and does not incorporate a concrete security service for its users, who are mainly big clients.
References
Arkills, B. (2003). How LDAP works. Pearsonhighered. com. Retrieved on March 15, 2012 from
http://www. pearsonhighered. com/samplechapter/020178792X. pdf
Gracion Software. (2011). What is LDAP? Gracion Software. Retrieved on March 15, 2012
http://www. gracion. com/server/whatldap. html