What Is the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol?

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (abbreviation: LDAP , / / ldæp /) is an open, neutral, industry-standard application protocol that provides access control and maintains directory information for distributed information through the IP protocol.

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (

Given the original

LDAP directory and ordinary

LDAP is widely supported by:

• Apache (via Apache Directory Server)

• Apple (via Open Directory)

• AT & T

• Banyan

• HP

• IBM / Lotus

• ISODE (via M-Vault server)

• Microsoft (via Active Directory)

• Netscape (now a product of Sun Microsystems and Red Hat)

• Novell (via eDirectory)

• OctetString (via VDE server)

• Oracle (via Oracle Internet Directory)

• Red Hat (via Fedora Directory Server)

• Siemens (via DirX server)

• Sun (via iPlanet Directory Server)

There are also open source / free software implementationssuch as OpenLDAP, Apache HTTP Server, which uses a proxy server (via module mod_proxy) to support LDAP. ^[1]