Overview Of The Server Front-End; Server Plug-Ins Overview - Netscape DIRECTORY SERVER 6.1 - DEPLOYMENT Deployment Manual

Introduction to Directory Server
• A basic directory tree containing server-related data.
The following sections describe each component of the directory in more detail.

Overview of the Server Front-End

The server front-end of Directory Server manages communications with directory
client programs. Directory Server functions as a daemon on UNIX systems and as a
service on Windows. Multiple client programs can speak to the server in LDAP.
They can communicate using LDAP over TCP/IP. The connection can also be
protected 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. In the future, when DNS security is present, TLS used in conjunction
with secured DNS will provide confirmation to client applications that they are
binding to the correct server. If clients have been issued certificates, TLS can be
used by Directory Server to confirm that the client has the right to access the server.
TLS and its predecessor SSL are used throughout Netscape server products to
perform other security activities such as message integrity checks, digital
signatures, and mutual authentication between servers.
Multiple clients can bind to the server at the same time over the same network
because the Directory Server is a multi-threaded application. As directory services
grow to include larger numbers of entries or larger numbers of clients spread out
geographically, they also include multiple Directory Servers placed in strategic
places around the network.

Server Plug-ins Overview

Directory Server relies on plug-ins. A plug-in is a way to add functionality to the
core server. For example, a database is a plug-in.
A plug-in can be disabled. When disabled, the plug-in's configuration information
remains in the directory but its function will not be used by the server. Depending
upon the what you want your directory to do, you can choose to enable any of the
plug-ins provided with Directory Server.
Netscape Professional Services can write custom plug-ins for your Directory Server
deployment. Contact Netscape Professional Services for more information.
Chapter 1 Introduction to Directory Server 17