LDAP Mythology | Business intelligence, data warehousing and analytics editorial from DMReview:
Myth: LDAP is a directory.
Truth: LDAP is an access protocol.
How many times have you heard (or even used) the term “LDAP directory?” It seems that the words “LDAP” and “directory” have been used together so often that they have essentially become synonymous, leading to some unconscious misstatements, which can lead to more important mistakes.
In truth, LDAP is an access protocol , as the AP in its name clearly states – not a directory. In light of this fact, the frequently repeated reference to “storing data in LDAP” seems rather nonsensical. After all, you can’t store data in a protocol, right? No one says, “Let’s store the data in TCP/IP” because they know that TCP/IP is a protocol that specifies the format of data transmissions over a network – not a physical location for holding data. Ditto for LDAP. For some reason, though, the incongruity of such a statement doesn’t seem to register when framed in the context of directory data.
The rest of the “Myth/Truth” exposition is equally rewarding.
It just isn’t easy or simple or inexpensive.