LDAPv3 can be extended via three mechanisms:
LDAP controls, which accompany LDAP operations and carry extra information
LDAP extended operations, which define new LDAP operations
SASL mechanisms, which define new ways for clients to authenticate to LDAP servers
Future directions for LDAP include
Continued integration into operating systems and middleware
Continued standards work centered on protocol extensions and additional core LDAP features
Increased use of XML, especially DSML