Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, or LDAP is a protocol based on TCP/IP Internet using e-mail programs and some other applications for search and information retrieval from a directory is stored on a server. A directory is a repository of data storing identical pieces of information in a logical and hierarchical sequence.
For example, a phone that has multiple subscriber names indexed alphabetically with addresses and associated phone numbers directory is an example of a directory. This type of structure can be easily deployed via LDAP. However, this Protocol is not limited to access to information only contact persons. You can locate shared resources in a network such as printers and scanners and allow people to use resources and other shared services using a single password.
LDAP can be implemented successfully where identical forms information stored sequentially that need to access quickly and updates occur very rarely. E-mail clients often use LDAP to obtain information from a server directory. From LDAP does not support encryption, processes such as update and modify the information on the server from the client must be using a secure SSL connection.
LDAP can also use DNS or domain name system for structuring the top-level of the hierarchy. This allows that the system has a wide scope in the top of the hierarchy, but at the same time to a single specific entity at the bottom of the hierarchy funnel. For example, the top-level can represent countries, States or other large geographical borders while the bottom can point to a single document on a computer, a network share or an individual information in particular. This makes the Protocol very versatile to address a wide variety of applications.
The University of Michigan developed the LDAP protocol and the current version is LDAPv3.
