Specifications

With centralized directory service and le service set up to host network home folders,
wherever a user logs in, the user gets the same home folder, personal desktop, and
individual preferences. The user always has access to personal networked les and can
easily locate and use authorized network resources.
Directory Services and Directory Domains
A directory service acts as an intermediary between application and system software
processes, which need information about users and resources, and the directory
domains that store the information.
As shown in the following illustration, Open Directory provides directory services for
Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server.
Printers
Groups
Computers
Users
Application and
system software
processes
Mounts
Directory
domains
Open
Directory
Open Directory can access information in one or several directory domains. A directory
domain stores information in a specialized database that is optimized to handle many
requests for information and to nd and retrieve information quickly.
Processes running on Mac OS X computers can use Open Directory services to save
information in directory domains.
For example, when you create a user account with Workgroup Manager, it has
Open Directory store user name and other account information in a directory domain.
You can then review user account information in Workgroup Manager, which uses
Open Directory to retrieve the user information from a directory domain.
18 Chapter 1 Directory Services with Open Directory