Characterizing Your Directory Data - Netscape DIRECTORY SERVER 6.01 - DEPLOYMENT Deployment Manual

Some common sources for information are networking operating systems
(Windows NT, Novell Netware, UNIX NIS), email systems, security systems,
PBX (telephone switching) systems, and human resources applications.
• Determine how centralizing each piece of data affects the management of data.
You may find that centralized data management requires new tools and new
processes. Sometimes centralization requires increasing staff in some
organizations while decreasing staff in others.
During your survey, you may come up with a matrix that resembles the following
table, identifying all of the information sources in your enterprise:
Information Sources
Table 2-2
Data Source
Human resources database
Email system
Facilities system

Characterizing Your Directory Data

All of the data you identify for inclusion in your directory can be characterized
according to the following general points:
• Format
• Size
• Number of occurrences in various applications
• Data owner
• Relationship to other directory data
You should study each piece of data you plan to include in your directory to
determine what characteristics it shares with the other pieces of data. This helps
save time during the schema design stage, described in more detail in Chapter 3,
"How to Design the Schema."
Class of Data
People
People, Groups
Facilities
Chapter 2
Performing a Site Survey
Data
Name, address, phone
number, department number,
manager
Name, email address, user ID,
password, email preferences
Building names, floor names,
cube numbers, access codes
How to Plan Your Directory Data 31