About This Guide


iPlanet Directory Server 5.1 is a powerful and scalable distributed directory server based on the industry-standard Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). iPlanet Directory Server is the cornerstone for building a centralized and distributed data repository that can be used in your intranet, over your extranet with your trading partners, or over the public Internet to reach your customers.

For the latest information about new features and enhancements in this release of iPlanet Directory Server, please see the online release notes at:

http://docs.iplanet.com/docs/manuals/directory.html

Purpose of This Guide

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This guide provides you with a foundation for planning your directory. The information provided here is intended for directory decision-makers, designers, and administrators.

The first chapter of this guide introduces basic directory concepts. Most of the remainder of the guide covers aspects of directory design, including schema design, the directory tree, topology, replication, and security. The last chapter provides sample deployment scenarios to help you plan simple deployments as well as complex deployments designed to support millions of users distributed worldwide.

Conventions Used in This Guide

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This section explains the typographic conventions used in this book.

Monospaced font - This typeface is used for literal text, such as the names of attributes and object classes when they appear in text. It is also used for URLs, filenames and examples.

Italic font - This typeface is used for emphasis, for new terms, and for text that you must substitute for actual values, such as placeholders in path names.

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Note	Notes, Cautions and Tips highlight important conditions or limitations. Be sure to read this information before continuing.

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This book uses the following format for paths and file names:

/var/ds5/slapd-serverID/...

serverID represents the server identifier you gave the server when you configured it. For example, if you gave the name phonebook to your directory server, then the actual path would be:

/var/ds5/slapd-phonebook/...

Related Information

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For information on how to configure iPlanet Directory Server 5.1 for the Solaris 9 operating environment, see Solaris 9 System Administration Naming and Directory Services: (DNS, NIS and LDAP), the chapter entitled "iPlanet Directory Server 5.1 Configuration."

The document set for iPlanet Directory Server also contains the following guides:

iPlanet Directory Server Administrator's Guide. Procedures for managing directory contents and maintaining your directory server. Includes information on configuring server-side plug-ins.

iPlanet Directory Server Configuration, Command, and File Reference. Information about using the command-line scripts shipped with Directory Server.

iPlanet Schema Reference. Information about the LDAP schema shipped with Directory Server and useful for client applications.

Other useful information can be found on the following Web sites:

• iPlanet product documentation online:
  http://docs.iplanet.com/docs/manuals/

• iPlanet product status:
  http://www.iplanet.com/support/technical_resources/

• iPlanet Professional Services information:
  http://www.iplanet.com/services/professional_services_3_3.html

• Sun Enterprise Services for Solaris patches and support:
  http://www.sun.com/service/

• iPlanet developer information:
  http://developer.iplanet.com/

• iPlanet learning solutions:
  http://www.iplanet.com/learning/index.html

• iPlanet product data sheets:
  http://www.iplanet.com/products/index.html