LDAP stands for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, which is an open, vendor-neutral, industry standard application protocol for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over an Internet Protocol (IP) network. LDAP is used to store data in the LDAP directory and provides a central location for accessing and managing directory services running on the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) .
Directory services play an important role in developing intranet and internet applications by allowing the sharing of information about users, systems, networks, services, and applications throughout the network. LDAP works by specifying a method of directory storage that allows for adding, deleting, and modifying records. It also enables the search of those records to facilitate both authentication and authorization of users to resources.
LDAP is commonly used in Microsoft’s Active Directory (AD) directory service, a large directory service database that contains information spanning every user account in a network. However, LDAP is not exclusive to AD and can be used to authenticate users for other tools and client environments, including Red Hat Directory Servers on UNIX and OpenLDAP, an open-source application, on Windows.
In summary, LDAP is a protocol that helps users find data about organizations, persons, and more. It simplifies secure access to vital information and resources and enhances productivity and efficiency when set up correctly.
