RFC 3254 (rfc3254) - Page 1 of 11

Definitions for talking about directories

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Network Working Group                                      H. Alvestrand
Request for Comments: 3254                                 Cisco Systems
Category: Informational                                       April 2002


               Definitions for talking about directories

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2002).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   When discussing systems for making information accessible through the
   Internet in standardized ways, it may be useful if the people who are
   discussing it have a common understanding of the terms they use.

   For example, a reference to this document would give one the power to
   agree that the DNS (Domain Name System) is a global lookup repository
   with perimeter integrity and loose, converging consistency.  On the
   other hand, a LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) directory
   server is a local, centralized repository with both lookup and search
   capability.

   This document discusses one group of such systems which is known
   under the term, "directories".

1. Introduction and basic terms

   We suggest using the following terms for the remainder of this
   document:

   -  Information: Facts and ideas which can be represented (encoded) as
      data in various forms.

   -  Data: Information in a specific physical representation, usually a
      sequence of symbols that have meaning; especially a representation
      of information that can be processed or produced by a computer.
      (From [SEC].)

   -  Repository: An amount of data that is accessible through one or
      more access methods.



Alvestrand                   Informational
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