Specifications

Chapter 1 Directory Service Concepts 19

Open Directory solves this problem by letting you store administrative data in a

directory domain that can be managed by a network administrator from one location.

Open Directory lets you distribute the information so that it is visible on a network to

the computers that need it and the administrator who manages it.

Uses of Directory Data

Open Directory makes it possible to consolidate and maintain network information

easily in a directory domain, but this information has value only if application and

system software processes running on network computers actually access the

information.

Here are some of the ways in which Mac OS X system and application software use

directory data:

• Login: As mentioned already, Workgroup Manager can create user records in a

directory domain, and these records can be used to authenticate users who log in to

Mac OS X computers and Windows computers. When a user specifies a name and a

password in the Mac OS X login window, the login process asks Open Directory to

authenticate the name and password. Open Directory uses the name to find the

user’s account record in a directory domain and uses additional data in the user

record to validate the password.

System

administrator

Users