7.1. Open Directory in ActionTo help explain how Open Directory is used in Mac OS X, let's look at a few examples. When you enter your username and password into the login window, the following steps happen:
This basic process of querying Open Directory for user information is followed by all parts of the system that either know how to use Open Directory or are using it behind the scenes by using the PAM (pluggable authentication modules) functionality built into many Unix-based applications. For example, when you log into your computer remotely via SSH, the following steps occur:
In addition, the act of browsing the network for filesystems when you use the Finder's Go Connect to Server (-K) menu causes a lookup into Open Directory, which then presents the information that it finds using LDAP, NetInfo, Bonjour, SMB, SLP, and AppleTalk. Open Directory is also used by Terminal's File Connect to Server (Shift--K) command, which allows you to create a connection to Bonjour-enabled computers that advertise SSH and Telnet services. |