Identifying Client Applications

The applications that access your directory and the data needs of these applications have a significant impact on performance requirements. When identifying client applications, consider the following:

• What types of client applications are accessing Directory Server?

• How many users access each of these applications?

• What kind of operations do these applications perform?

• What are the usage patterns for these operations?

Common applications that might use your directory include the following:

• Browser applications, such as white pages. Applications of this type generally access information such as email addresses, telephone numbers, and employee names.

• Messaging applications, especially email servers. All email servers require email addresses, user names, and routing information. Others require more advanced information such as the place on disk where a user’s mailbox is stored, vacation notification information, and protocol information.

• Directory-enabled human resources applications. These applications require more personal information such as government identification numbers, home addresses, home telephone numbers, and salary details.

• Security, web portal, or personalization applications. Applications of this type access profile information.

When you have identified the information used by each application, you might see that some types of data are used by more than one application. Performing this kind of exercise during the planning stage can help you to avoid data redundancy.