A naming service performs lookups of stored information, such as host names and addresses, user names, passwords, access permissions, and so on. This information is made available so that users can log in to their systems, access resources, and be granted permissions. Naming service information can be stored in files, maps, or various forms of database files. These information repositories can be local to the system or located in a central network-based repository or database. Without a central naming service, each host would have to maintain its own copy of this information. If you centralize all data, administration becomes easier.
The following naming and directory services are supported in Oracle Solaris:
Domain Name System (DNS) including Multicast DNS and DNS Service Discovery
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)