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Open Source Directory Service – Alternative to AD

OpenDS is an open source community project building a free and comprehensive next generation directory service, based on LDAP and DSML standards.

he OpenDS directory server is an LDAPv3 compliant directory server written entirely in Java. The directory server includes the following high-level functionality:

  • Full LDAPv3 compliance (RFC 4510–4519) with support for numerous standard and experimental extensions
  • High performance and space effective data storage
  • Ease of configuration and administration
    • A highly extensible administrative framework that enables you to customize most of the features listed below.
    • An administration connector that manages all administration traffic to the server. The administration connector enables the separation of user traffic and administration traffic to simplify logging and monitoring, and to ensure that administrative commands take precedence over commands that manipulate user data.
    • A graphical control panel that displays server status information and enables you to perform basic server and data administration.
    • Several command-line utilities to assist with configuration, administration tasks, basic monitoring, and data management. The main configuration utility (dsconfig) provides an interactive mode that walks you through most configuration tasks.
  • An advanced replication mechanism
    • Enhanced multi-master replication across directory server instances
    • An assured replication feature that ensures high availability of data and immediacy of data availability for specific deployment requirements
    • Fractional replication capabilities
    • Support for an external change log that publicizes all changes that have occurred in a directory server database
  • An extensible security model
    • Support for various levels of authentication and confidentiality
    • Access to resources based on privileges
    • An advanced access control mechanism
  • Multi-faceted monitoring capabilities
  • Rich user management functionality
    • Password policies
    • Identity mapping
    • Account status notification
  • A DSML to LDAP gateway


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