LDAP Services

LDAP Services Visually

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is an open, vendor-neutral, industry standard application protocol for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over an Internet Protocol network.

LDAP Services Directory Structure User Authentication Access Control Bind & Search Directory Entries Visual Learning

LDAP Directory Structure

LDAP organizes information in a hierarchical tree structure called a Directory Information Tree (DIT). Each entry in the tree is identified by a Distinguished Name (DN).

Click on any node to see details

LDAP Operations

LDAP supports various operations for managing directory information including search, compare, add, delete, modify, and bind operations.

1. Connect
2. Bind
3. Search
4. Modify
5. Unbind

Common LDAP Operations:

  • Bind: Authenticate and establish a connection to the LDAP server
  • Search: Query the directory for specific entries or information
  • Compare: Compare an entry's attribute value with a specified value
  • Add: Add new entries to the directory
  • Delete: Remove entries from the directory
  • Modify: Change attributes of existing entries
  • Unbind: Terminate the connection to the LDAP server

LDAP Data Simulation

Explore sample LDAP directory data and practice search operations. This simulation demonstrates how LDAP entries are structured and accessed.

Distinguished Name (DN) Common Name (CN) Email UID/Object Class

Sample LDAP Entry Structure:

dn: uid=john,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com
b5z: inetOrgPerson
b5z: organizationalPerson
b5z: person
b5z: top
uid: john
cn: John Doe
sn: Doe
givenName: John
mail: john@example.com
telephoneNumber: +1-555-123-4567

Benefits of LDAP

LDAP provides numerous advantages for directory services and authentication management in enterprise environments.

Centralized Management

Single point of control for user accounts and access permissions across the organization.

Standardized Protocol

Industry-standard protocol supported by numerous applications and platforms.

Security

Secure authentication and encryption support for protecting sensitive data.

Scalability

Efficient handling of large directories with distributed architecture support.