A system for accessing data in a directory (900, 1100, 1160) by a plurality of requesting entities, comprising: a directory operations server (702, 907, 931, 1007, 1031, 1109, 1213) configured to receive a data request relating to data stored in the directory (900, 1100, 1160) from a requesting entity (920, 1115, 402) and provide the data request to appropriate processing units; a protocol adaptation module configured to review the data request received in the directory operations server (702, 907, 931, 1007, 1031, 1109, 1213), determine if the data request should be mapped to a first operation using a rule set of mapping instructions, control execution of the first operation; a rule selector configured to select the rule set of the mapping instructions by matching rule selection data against a putative rule set, wherein the rule set is selected at least in part based on an identity of the requesting entity (920, 1115, 402) and is selected from more than one set of rules, wherein: the directory (900, 1100, 1160) represents a first portion of a distributed directory and wherein the first operation involves data found in a second portion of the distributed directory, the protocol adaptation module is further configured to: control a chained request for the data found in the second portion of the distributed directory, the chained data request being a portion of the data request that further comprises another chained data request, and modify the another chained data request to comprise at least one revised data request based on the rule set of mapping instructions in parallel with modifying the chained data request to comprise the first operation based on the rule set of mapping instructions. a directory operations server (702, 907, 931, 1007, 1031, 1109, 1213) configured to receive a data request relating to data stored in the directory (900, 1100, 1160) from a requesting entity (920, 1115, 402) and provide the data request to appropriate processing units; a protocol adaptation module configured to review the data request received in the directory operations server (702, 907, 931, 1007, 1031, 1109, 1213), determine if the data request should be mapped to a first operation using a rule set of mapping instructions, control execution of the first operation; a rule selector configured to select the rule set of the mapping instructions by matching rule selection data against a putative rule set, wherein the rule set is selected at least in part based on an identity of the requesting entity (920, 1115, 402) and is selected from more than one set of rules, wherein: the directory (900, 1100, 1160) represents a first portion of a distributed directory and wherein the first operation involves data found in a second portion of the distributed directory, the protocol adaptation module is further configured to: control a chained request for the data found in the second portion of the distributed directory, the chained data request being a portion of the data request that further comprises another chained data request, and modify the another chained data request to comprise at least one revised data request based on the rule set of mapping instructions in parallel with modifying the chained data request to comprise the first operation based on the rule set of mapping instructions. the directory (900, 1100, 1160) represents a first portion of a distributed directory and wherein the first operation involves data found in a second portion of the distributed directory, the protocol adaptation module is further configured to: control a chained request for the data found in the second portion of the distributed directory, the chained data request being a portion of the data request that further comprises another chained data request, and modify the another chained data request to comprise at least one revised data request based on the rule set of mapping instructions in parallel with modifying the chained data request to comprise the first operation based on the rule set of mapping instructions. control a chained request for the data found in the second portion of the distributed directory, the chained data request being a portion of the data request that further comprises another chained data request, and modify the another chained data request to comprise at least one revised data request based on the rule set of mapping instructions in parallel with modifying the chained data request to comprise the first operation based on the rule set of mapping instructions.