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Directory services are databases of information with powerful
facilities for storing, accessing, managing, and using diverse kinds
of information about users and resources in computing environments. Standard Directory Services | |
Directories have traditionally been a component of the computing
or network infrastructure that provide services to applications,
such as E-mail, human resources, and network management applications.
However, no integrated network directory services has been available
to applications and users alike. Users and organizations within computing environments are
recognizing the need for a common, distributed directory that provides
services to all network applications and users across disparate
platforms including hosts, minicomputers, and network systems. This need is driven by an overall connectivity paradigm, the
continuing trend towards downsizing, and the need for directory
integration and centralized management. The
NetWare Directory Services technology provided by Novell maintains
a single, network-wide directory that is accessible from multiple
points by users and applications. NetWare Directory Services | |
NetWare Directory Services (NDS) is an object-oriented implementation
of directory services that allows you to build sophisticated naming
schemes and databases across network-wide resources. The NDS architecture provides global access to all network
resources regardless of where the resources are physically located—forming
a single information system. The following table provides a brief discussion of the
features and benefits of NDS. | | | |  | NOTE: You will encounter several new terms as you work with
NDS. These are defined in the following discussion of the basic
architecture and design of NDS. | | | | |
Table 2-1 Features
and Benefits Provided by NetWare Directory Services Feature | Benefit |
|---|
Simple Administration | The
single point of administration provided in the NDS architecture
allows for simple and cost-effective management of your entire network
and its resources. Each supervisor of your network uses the same
management utilities and database of resource objects regardless
of each supervisor's physical location on the network.
Network resources, such as users and groups, also maintain a single
point of access to the network. This allows you to maintain a single
identity for each resource you create throughout the entire network. | Advanced Security | The
NDS architecture provides the possibility of improved security.
NDS incorporates the advanced RSA (Rivest, Shamir, and Adleman,
developers of this particular public key encryption system) security
features that make encrypted, single-login authentication to network
resources possible. NDS security is based on a top-down architecture.
All rights to network resources are established through Access Control
Lists (ACLs) that allow for sophisticated, but easily managed, administration. | Usability | The
hierarchical database structure of the NDS design reduces network
traffic and makes retrieving objects and properties very easy and
efficient. You can search the entire Directory tree to locate an
object, or a search can be initiated at any level of the Directory
tree. Enhanced searching techniques allow objects to be located
in a variety of ways, such as using relational expressions and wild
cards. Also, objects in the Directory tree do not advertise. Traffic
is generated only when an application asks the Directory for information
and to allow for synchronization of NDS databases. | Reliability | The
replicated nature of NDS creates a fault-tolerant system to ensure
that you have no single point of failure in your network system.
If implemented correctly, your network maintains operation through
routine hardware and software maintenance. Synchronization of Directory
replicas is automatic and does not require any administrative intervention. | Flexibility | The
hierarchical design of NDS allows for easy alteration of the network
structure. Components of the network can be merged or split as needed.
You can move objects from one part of the Directory tree to another. | Scaleability | NDS
has a modular design that allows you to customize it for any size
and type of network. This means that as your organization changes
to incorporate more resources and services, or downsizes to meet
more specialized needs, the architecture and management of your
network remains the same. | Interoperability | NDS
provides compatibility with existing Novell and third-party products.
Specifically, NDS is capable of providing bindery services used
in the bindery-based NetWare network operating systems. This allows
for an easier and more flexible transition of bindery-based NetWare
servers, utilities, and client software to NDS. Furthermore, NDS
provides centralized management of your bindery-based server and
resources in the network. | Future-Looking | The functionality
that defines how the Directory tree is constructed can be modified
and expanded to suit your present and future needs. If the default
definitions do not meet your needs, you can create an entirely new
set of definitions or make modifications to parts of the existing
definitions. |
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