Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is used for querying and managing directories that run over TCP/IP. Microsoft Active Directory represents one implementation of LDAP. GE Digital APM supports integration with Microsoft Active Directory to facilitate automatic login and synchronization of user information.
LDAP is not limited to contact information, or even information about people. LDAP is used to look up encryption certificates, pointers to printers and other services on a network, and to enable same sign-on, where one password for a user is shared between many services. LDAP is appropriate for any type of directory-like information, where fast look-ups and less-frequent updates are standard.
As a protocol, LDAP does not define how programs work on either the client or server side. It defines the "language" used for client programs to talk to servers (as well as servers to servers). On the client side, a client may be an email program, a printer browser, or an address book. The server may speak only LDAP, or have other methods of sending and receiving data; LDAP may just be an add-on method.
LDAP continues to be a popular standard for communicating record-based, directory-like data between programs.
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