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Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services > 25. Case Study: A Large Multinational Enterprise > Summary and Lessons Learned

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Summary and Lessons Learned

Now let's step back and take a critical look at the HugeCo directory design and deployment process. A large investment was made by HugeCo to ensure that its directory service would be a success ”and it is. As always, we can learn from the company's experience, successes, and failures.

Although HugeCo's directory design team clearly did its homework, there were still a number of times it found problems with the design. In some cases a redesign was required before the deployment of the production service. Some problems are yet to be resolved, and more redesign and redeployment activities are on the horizon. Interesting design problems HugeCo's team encountered include the following:

  • The original namespace design proved too cumbersome and had to be redesigned during the directory pilot.

  • Support for HA hardware and software was lacking in the available directory server products.

  • Setting up and managing a large number of replication agreements was burdensome, and alternative designs are being examined to reduce the number of agreements required.

  • Individual employees made their voices heard in asking for more control over who can access their personal information.

  • Several data quality problems must be investigated and remedied.

  • The initial plan for monitoring the directory service did not include any indirect probing. This was added only after an embarrassing directory configuration error was unearthed following a vice president's complaint.

As more applications are integrated with the directory service, new challenges will no doubt surface.

Overall, HugeCo's directory design and deployment process was well- conceived and well-executed. By conducting a serious pilot, the team members discovered some critical problems before they deployed the entire service. They were not afraid to revisit design decisions to improve the service. And although deploying a directory service for their large organization was a big task, the service is now being leveraged in some interesting and unexpected ways.



Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services,  2002 New Riders Publishing
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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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