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Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services > 22. Directory Coexistence

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Chapter 22. Directory Coexistence

So far, the focus of this book has been on designing, deploying, and maintaining your directory service. The last two chapters talked about how to make use of the directory with existing and new applications. In this chapter we focus on integrating other data sources with your directory.

Often referred to as directory coexistence , integrating other data sources involves the relationship between the data in your directory and data maintained elsewhere, and the procedures and policies by which these relationships are maintained . Directory coexistence also allows your directory to coexist with and complement existing business processes within your organization. This important topic determines whether your directory is an island ”isolated from the rest of your enterprise ”or whether it is integrated and coexists peacefully with your existing infrastructure and business processes.

There are many reasons to integrate or link data between your directory and one or more external data sources. You might have existing data in another database that you want to make available to directory applications. You might want to provide a central management point for data, reducing the cost of maintaining it. Or you might want to use the directory as the source for new data elements used to populate other databases. There are at least as many reasons for integration as there are other data sources, and it is rare to find a directory service that does not need to coordinate with any data sources at all.

There are several different approaches toward directory coexistence. The correct approach for you depends on your requirements and the capabilities of both your directory and the other data sources and business processes you want your directory to coexist with. In some situations, a simple one-time population of the directory from another source (or vice versa) may be all that's needed. In others, you may need an ongoing two-way relationship between your directory and a data source, in which data may be updated by either one. These two examples are extremes; requirements usually lie somewhere in between. You'll need to work with the maintainers of other data sources in your organization to determine which methods are best for you.

Whatever your needs, there are a variety of techniques for accomplishing integration and coexistence. These range from home-grown scripts and programs to off-the-shelf software. After figuring out your needs, you'll need to determine whether any available software fits the bill. Chances are that even if you do find suitable software, you will have to develop certain tools to augment it. Because directories, databases, and the environments in which they run are so variable, it is unlikely that any off-the-shelf software will suit your needs exactly.

This chapter takes you through the process of determining your directory coexistence needs and how to meet them. You'll learn which data sources your directory needs to coexist with, the kind of integration you need, and how to accomplish it. You'll learn the difference between directory migration, directory synchronization, and metadirectories ”all of them tools that help accomplish directory coexistence. The chapter ends with a couple examples that show you how to develop directory coexistence tools for simple directories.



Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services,  2002 New Riders Publishing
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Index terms contained in this section

coexistence (directories) 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
data
          directory coexistence 2nd 3rd 4th
data:directory coexistence
directories
          coexistence 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

2002, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.



Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services
Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services (2nd Edition)
ISBN: 0672323168
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 1997
Pages: 245

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