Overview Of The Server Frontend; Overview Of The Basic Directory Tree - Red Hat DIRECTORY SERVER 8.1 - DEPLOYMENT Deployment Manual

• SNMP agent to monitor the Directory Server using the Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP). For more information about SNMP monitoring, see the Directory Server Administrator's
Guide.

1.2.1. Overview of the Server Frontend

Directory Server is a multi-threaded application. This means that multiple clients can bind to the server
at the same time over the same network. As directory services grow to include larger numbers of
entries or geographically-dispersed clients, they also include multiple Directory Servers placed in
strategic places around the network.
The server frontend of Directory Server manages communications with directory client programs.
Multiple client programs can communicate with the server using both LDAP over TCP/IP (Internet
traffic protocols) and LDAP over Unix sockets (LDAPI). The Directory Server can establish a secure
(encrypted) connection with SSL/TLS, depending on whether the client negotiates the use of Transport
Layer Security (TLS) for the connection.
When communication takes place with TLS, the communication is usually encrypted. If clients have
been issued certificates, TLS/SSL can be used by Directory Server to confirm that the client has the
right to access the server. TLS/SSL is used to perform other security activities, such as message
integrity checks, digital signatures, and mutual authentication between servers.
NOTE
Directory Server runs as a daemon; the process is ns-slapd.
1.2.2. Server Plug-ins Overview
Directory Server relies on plug-ins to add functionality to the core server. For example, a database
layer is a plug-in. Directory Server has plug-ins for replication, chaining databases, and other different
directory functions.
Generally, a plug-in can be disabled, particularly plug-ins the extend the server functionality. When
disabled, the plug-in's configuration information remains in the directory, but its function is not used
by the server. Depending on what the directory is supposed to do, any of the plug-ins provided with
Directory Server can be enabled to extend the Directory Server functionality. (Plug-ins related to the
core directory service operations, like backend database plug-in, naturally cannot be disabled.)
For more information on the default plug-ins with Directory Server and the functions available for
writing custom plug-ins, see the Directory Server Plug-in Programmer's Guide.

1.2.3. Overview of the Basic Directory Tree

The directory tree, also known as a directory information tree (DIT), mirrors the tree model used
by most file systems, with the tree's root, or first entry, appearing at the top of the hierarchy. During
installation, Directory Server creates a default directory tree.
Overview of the Server Frontend
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