Applications often must tweak the LDAP protocol for the audience. Oblix, a directory administration vendor, tries to do it all by writing its own access control on top of multiple directories. This allows Oblix to build strong directory administration tools, but customers must then maintain two access control systems - one for Oblix and another for the underlying directory server. Clever developers will work around these problems using coding techniques that abstract differences between directories. But not all applications support all directory servers equally well, and every new release leaves developers and customers scrambling.
Directory servers are all different animals.
Make sure your vendors are committed to the long-term care and feeding of your strategic directory servers. Blum is a senior vice president and principal consultant with The Burton Group, an IT advisory service providing in-depth analysis for network planners. Jump into nwfusion.talk and start a thread. Feedback Tell us your thoughts on this article or the issues raised in it. When you click Submit, you'll be taken back to this article.