Lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) is a protocol that makes it possible for applications to query user information rapidly.

Someone within your office wants to do two things: Send an email to a recent hire and print a copy of that conversation on a new printer. LDAP (lightweight directory access protocol) makes both of those steps possible.

Set it up properly, and that employee doesn't need to talk with IT to complete the tasks.

What Is LDAP?

Companies store usernames, passwords, email addresses, printer connections, and other static data within directories. LDAP is an open, vendor-neutral application protocol for accessing and maintaining that data. LDAP can also tackle authentication, so users can sign on just once and access many different files on the server.

LDAP is a protocol, so it doesn't specify how directory programs work. Instead, it's a form of language that allows users to find the information they need very quickly.

LDAP is vender-neutral, so it can be used with a variety of different directory programs. Typically, a directory contains data that is:

• Descriptive. Multiple points, such as name and location, come together to define an asset.
• Static. The information doesn’t change much, and when it does, the shifts are subtle.
• Valuable. Data stored within the directory is critical to core business functions, and it's touched over and over again.

Sometimes, people use LDAP in concert with other systems throughout the workday. For example, your employees may use LDAP to connect with printers or verify passwords. Those employees may then switch to Google for email, which doesn't rely on LDAP at all.

LDAP isn't new. The definitive whitepaper that describes how directory services work and how LDAP should interface was published in 2003. Despite its age, LDAP is still in widespread use today.

The LDAP Process Explained

The average employee connects with LDAP dozens or even hundreds of times per day. That person may not even know the connection has happened even though the steps to complete a query are intricate and complex.