LDAP, or Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, is a protocol used to access and manipulate information in directory services over a network. It provides a standardized way to interact with directory services, allowing users and applications to query and manage directory data efficiently. Here are some key points about LDAP:

Directory Services: LDAP is commonly used to interact with directory services, which are specialized databases for storing and organizing structured information. Directory services are often used for managing user accounts, organizational data, and network resources.

Popular Directory Services: Two well-known directory services that use LDAP are

• Active Directory (used primarily in Windows environments)
• OpenLDAP (an open-source directory service).

LDAP Operations: LDAP supports various operations for interacting with directory data. Some common LDAP operations include:

1. Add: Used to create a new entry or record in the directory.
2. Delete: Used to remove an entry from the directory.
3. Modify: Used to update attributes or values of an existing entry.
4. Search: Allows users to query the directory for specific information based on search criteria.
5. Bind: Authenticates a user to the directory service, confirming their identity.

LDAP Entry Format: LDAP entries follow a specific format. Each entry has a distinguished name (DN), which serves as a unique identifier for the entry. Attributes and their associated values describe the entry.

Common LDAP attributes include:

• CN (Common Name): Represents the name of the object, such as a person's name.
• OU (Organizational Unit): Specifies the organizational unit or group to which the entry belongs.
• DC (Domain Component): Represents domain components in a hierarchical manner, typically used for domain naming.

LDAP entries are structured with these attributes and values, making it easy to organize and retrieve data efficiently.

LDAP Entry Example:

dn: CN=Devan Sri-Tharan,OU=Sysadmin,DC=example,DC=com
cn: Devan Sri-Tharan
ou: Sysadmin
dc: example
dc: com

In this example, the LDAP entry represents a