1.2. The Directory as Infrastructure

A directory that is accessible by multiple applications is a vital part of the infrastructure supporting networked systems. A directory service provides a single logical view of the users, resources, and other objects that make up a distributed system. This allows users and applications to access network resources transparently. That is, the system is perceived as an integrated whole, a network, not a collection of independent parts. Objects can be accessed by name or function without knowing low-level identifiers such as host addresses, file server names, and e-mail addresses.

1.2.1. Directory-Enabled Applications

A directory-enabled application is an application that uses a directory service to improve ...

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