Mobile Technology

Introduction:

The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is a lightweight version of the Directory Access Protocol, which is part of X.500. Being neither a directory nor a database, LDAP is an access protocol that defines operations for how clients can access and update data in a directory environment.

Why is LDAP Important?

LDAP is used today in many aspects of directory environments involving intranets, extranets, and the Internet. For example, a mobile user may initiate a database lookup over the Internet via WAP to obtain another mobile phone number. This is advantageous in many ways. First, the user’s mobile phone number may only store a certain number of phone numbers. Second, LDAP enables the interface to a directory environment in which the company may update the phone number when it changes.

Directory Enabled Networks:

The LDAP is protocol is evolving into a more intelligent network structure called a Directory Enabled Network (DEN). DEN is a network structure that separates the logical properties from physical components. For example, policy elements such as security, quality of service (QoS), and capacity allocation would be separated from the actual policy, application, and directory servers themselves.

Summary:

LDAP is an important protocol to IP networking and is therefore important to the development and administration of mobile data applications.As mobile Internet connectivity and related applications continue to grow at a rapid pace, the industry will need to introduce DEN and other related technologies to ensure efficient, scalable, fault tolerant database management and operation.