Merge remote branch 'origin/mdb.master'

[openldap] / doc / guide / admin / intro.sdf

diff --git a/doc/guide/admin/intro.sdf b/doc/guide/admin/intro.sdf
index fe8f23bb09693a3407ba1b79c97466c5b972cf76..5655032a8aaa72cadcc18401a56d48f85c59cab4 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/guide/admin/intro.sdf
+++ b/doc/guide/admin/intro.sdf
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # $OpenLDAP$
-# Copyright 1999-2007 The OpenLDAP Foundation, All Rights Reserved.
+# Copyright 1999-2011 The OpenLDAP Foundation, All Rights Reserved.
 # COPYING RESTRICTIONS APPLY, see COPYRIGHT.
 H1: Introduction to OpenLDAP Directory Services
 
@@ -156,9 +156,44 @@ services.
 
 H2: When should I use LDAP?
 
+This is a very good question. In general, you should use a Directory
+server when you require data to be centrally managed, stored and accessible via
+standards based methods. 
+
+Some common examples found throughout the industry are, but not limited to:
+
+* Machine Authentication
+* User Authentication
+* User/System Groups
+* Address book
+* Organization Representation
+* Asset Tracking
+* Telephony Information Store
+* User resource management
+* E-mail address lookups
+* Application Configuration store
+* PBX Configuration store
+* etc.....
+
+There are various {{SECT:Distributed Schema Files}} that are standards based, but
+you can always create your own {{SECT:Schema Specification}}.
+
+There are always new ways to use a Directory and apply LDAP principles to address
+certain problems, therefore there is no simple answer to this question.
+
+If in doubt, join the general LDAP forum for non-commercial discussions and 
+information relating to LDAP at: 
+{{URL:http://www.umich.edu/~dirsvcs/ldap/mailinglist.html}} and ask
 
 H2: When should I not use LDAP?
 
+When you start finding yourself bending the directory to do what you require,
+maybe a redesign is needed. Or if you only require one application to use and 
+manipulate your data (for discussion of LDAP vs RDBMS, please read the 
+{{SECT:LDAP vs RDBMS}} section).
+
+It will become obvious when LDAP is the right tool for the job.
+
 
 H2: How does LDAP work?
 
@@ -238,8 +273,7 @@ sharing of data with other applications.
 
 The short answer is that use of an embedded database and custom indexing system 
 allows OpenLDAP to provide greater performance and scalability without loss of 
-reliability. OpenLDAP, since release 2.1, in its main storage-oriented backends 
-(back-bdb and, since 2.2, back-hdb) uses Berkeley DB concurrent / transactional 
+reliability. OpenLDAP uses Berkeley DB concurrent / transactional 
 database software. This is the same software used by leading commercial 
 directory software.
 
@@ -327,10 +361,6 @@ For more information on concept and limitations, see {{slapd-sql}}(5) man page,
 or the {{SECT: Backends}} section. There are also several examples for several 
 RDBMSes in {{F:back-sql/rdbms_depend/*}} subdirectories. 
 
-TO REFERENCE:
-
-http://blogs.sun.com/treydrake/entry/ldap_vs_relational_database
-http://blogs.sun.com/treydrake/entry/ldap_vs_relational_database_part
 
 H2: What is slapd and what can it do?
 
@@ -354,7 +384,8 @@ SASL}} software which supports a number of mechanisms including
 {{B:{{TERM[expand]TLS}}}}: {{slapd}} supports certificate-based
 authentication and data security (integrity and confidentiality)
 services through the use of TLS (or SSL).  {{slapd}}'s TLS
-implementation can utilize either {{PRD:OpenSSL}} or {{PRD:GnuTLS}} software.
+implementation can utilize {{PRD:OpenSSL}}, {{PRD:GnuTLS}},
+or {{PRD:MozNSS}} software.
 
 {{B:Topology control}}: {{slapd}} can be configured to restrict
 access at the socket layer based upon network topology information.
@@ -394,7 +425,7 @@ well-defined {{TERM:C}} {{TERM:API}}, you can write your own
 customized modules which extend {{slapd}} in numerous ways.  Also,
 a number of {{programmable database}} modules are provided.  These
 allow you to expose external data sources to {{slapd}} using popular
-programming languages ({{PRD:Perl}}, {{shell}}, and {{TERM:SQL}}.
+programming languages ({{PRD:Perl}}, {{shell}}, and {{TERM:SQL}}).
 
 {{B:Threads}}: {{slapd}} is threaded for high performance.  A single
 multi-threaded {{slapd}} process handles all incoming requests using