Chapter 1. General Red Hat Directory Server Usage
Red Hat Directory Server product includes a directory service, an administration server to manage multiple server instances, and a Java-based console to manage server instances through a graphical interface. This chapter provides an overview of the basic tasks for administering a directory service.
The Directory Server is a robust, scalable server designed to manage an enterprise-wide directory of users and resources. It is based on an open-systems server protocol called the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). Directory Server runs the ns-slapd daemon on the host machine. The server manages the directory databases and responds to client requests.
Directory Server 8.0 is comprised of several components, which work in tandem:
The Directory Server is the core LDAP server daemon. It is compliant with LDAP v3 standards. This component includes command-line server management and administration programs and scripts for common operations like export and backing up databases.
The Directory Server Console is the user interface that simplifies managing users, groups, and other LDAP data for your enterprise. The Console is used for all aspects of server management, including making backups; configuring security, replication, and databases; adding entries; and monitoring servers and viewing statistics.
The Administration Server is the management agent which administers Directory Server instances. It communicates with the Directory Server Console and performs operations on the Directory Server instances. It also provides a simple HTML interface and online help pages.
Most Directory Server administrative tasks are available through the Directory Server Console, but it is also possible to administer the Directory Server by manually editing the configuration files or by using command-line utilities.