Translations:Centralized authentication using OpenLDAP/5/en

X.500 is a model for Directory Services in the OSI concept. It contains namespace definitions and the protocols for querying and updating the directory. However, X.500 has been found to be overkill in many situations. Enter LDAP. Like X.500 it provides a data/namespace model for the directory and a protocol too. However, LDAP is designed to run directly over the TCP/IP stack. See LDAP as a slim-down version of X.500.