Making the Right Product Choice

Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services > 1. Directory Services Overview > Directory Services Overview Checklist

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Directory Services Overview Checklist

Here's a brief summary of things to think about when deciding whether to use a directory or some other piece of technology for storing information:

• Size of the information.   Directories are best at storing relatively small pieces of information, not multimegabyte files. Directories are good at storing pointers to large things, but not the large things themselves .

• Character of the information.   Directories typically have an attribute-based information model. If you can express your information naturally in this form, a directory might be a good choice. If you can't, consider using a database, file system, or other approach.

• Read-to-write ratio.   Directories are best for information that is read far more often than it is written. If the information is to be written more frequently, a database or file system might be a more appropriate choice.

• Search capability.   Directories are made to search the information they contain. If your application requires this, a directory might be a good choice.

• Standards-based access.   If you need standards-based access to your information, a directory is a good choice.

Keeping these principles in mind when you are deciding what to use for your application will keep you out of trouble. By this time, you should have a good understanding of what a directory is, what a directory is not, and how a directory relates to other services in your network. Hopefully, this will help you avoid the "hammer syndrome," where every problem looks like a nail you can use your directory hammer to solve.

Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services,  2002 New Riders Publishing

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Index terms contained in this section

checklists
          directory services 2nd
directories
         services
                    checklist 2nd
services
         of directories
                    checklist 2nd

2002, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.