Ability to list some of the Directory Server's management capabilities and replication options.
Try This: Look at some of the Directory Server Marketing information on Netscape's external site.
Factoid: The Directory Server has been tested with over 20 million entries. Even under these conditions it's able to handle hundreds of queries per second.
See thePreface of Admin Guide.
| ### Description Of Directory Server 4 ### Basic Capabilities Ability to perform online backups. Administrators can back up and restore the directory database either through Netscape Console or from the command line without shutting down the Server. Backup and restore functions can be scripted, allowing unattended operation. Ability to import and export LDIF files. You can manage large numbers of directory entries by importing and exporting text-based LDIF files. Supports Client-Based Failover. The Netscape Directory SDK (software development kit) offers client based failover by maintaining a list of alternate directory servers to consult. If the first directory in the list is unavailable, the client tries the second, then the third, and so on. Supports Plugins. Customized plug-ins allow you to replace the back-end data store, set up triggers for data validation and notification, customize the authentication process, and extend the functionality of the server. Supports SSL. This security feature allows network communication using ciphers with up to 168-bit encryption. The Directory Server can access a secured directory by way of LDAP over SSL using SSL hardware accelerators. These PKCS-11 hardware accelerators allow the Server to offload computation of time-consuming encryption functions. Supports Referrals. Using LDAP v3 referrals, it's possible to split a directory tree at its branches and place each branch on its own server with up to 20 million entries per server. This lets you build extremely large directory repositories. Supports SNMP. You can monitor the Directory Server in real time using the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). Key server configuration parameters are stored as directory entries, so authorized LDAP clients can make changes to the server configuration. Supports Round-Robin DNS. The Directory Server can take advantage of reliability capabilities in the underlying operating system and network stack. For example, administrators can deploy multiple instances of the Server in a DNS round-robin scheme whereby clients can be rotated through several IP addresses associated with a given DNS name. Provides Automatic Recover. The Directory Server can survive certain catastrophic errors such as power failures or disk crashes. Upon recovery the Server consults its transaction logs and repairs any database corruption that may have occurred at the time of failure. ### Management & Administration Fully Integrated With Netscape Console. Netscape Console is a powerful server management tool with a graphical interface. It lets you manage your Directory Server and make changes to your directory database from any system on the network. Provides Schema Management Interface. You can create custom object classes and attributes which define specific entries. Includes Directory Server Gateway (DSGW). Customizable HTTP to LDAP client that allows you to access directory data from a web browser. Includes Directory Express. You can use this directory lookup tool for simple or advanced searches. Command-line tools. You can write scripts to manage the Directory Server and modify its contents. NT synchronization service. You can synchronize the Windows NT directory with the Directory Server's directory. Password policy and account lockout. You can define a set of rules that govern how passwords and accounts are managed in the directory server. ### Replication Server replication lets administrators set up directory replicas that provide a seamless directory service. Replicas eliminate single points of failure allowing clients to query any of a number of directories scattered throughout the organization. Unlike X.500, LDAP v3 doesn't require a separate replication protocol. The Netscape Directory Server supports the following types of replication: LDAP-based replication. Netscape Directory Server uses LDAP for replication, laying the foundation for cross-vendor replication of directory information. Netscape plans to publish the details of this replication scheme to the IETF and encourage directory vendors to implement LDAP-based replication. Scheduled replication. Administrators can schedule the replication time according to their criteria (such as cost, reliability of network connections, and number of incoming client queries). For example, they can set up replication to occur as soon as a change is made or only at a specified time each evening. Partitioned replication. Administrators can divide the directory into logical partitions that make sense for their organization (such as buildings, geographies, workgroups, business units, or departments). Each partition, which can be as small as a single entry, is assigned a single server that can write to that partition. Because each entry has an unambiguous master, administrators don't need to manage the complexity of directory update conflicts between multiple masters. Online replica creation. Improved ease of use by supporting online creation of replicas. In earlier versions, administrators had to shut the server down to set up a replica. Resilient supplier or consumer initiated replication. With Directory Server 1.0, supplier directories used a push model to control what to replicate and when. Clients can request replication; this pull replication model gives client applications some control over the replication schedule. Cascaded replication. For environments with a large number of directories, replicas can be designed to cascade; in other words, a master server replicates to replicas, which in turn replicate to another tier of replicas.

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