ldap怎么又扯上拉数据库拉?

y2k005

LDAP is a protocol.
LDAP server using database as the backend storage method.
Different vendors may use different kind of backend database to store data.

Vendors have to follow LDAP protocol at front-end, but have total freedom of implementation at backend.

The database used by LDAP should be accessed using LDAP protocol (like ldapsearch, ldapmodify, ...). Someone may write an interface to allow SQL query to LDAP database, but that is another story.

SUN/iPlanet LDAP server using "sleepycat" as its backend database.
What is special of "Sleepycat" is that it is an embedded database.
That is why when you run iPlanet LDAP server you can't see a process directly related to "Sleepycat".
LDAP server implementation does not have to use "Sleepycat", and "Sleepycat" is not only used in LDAP, but also used in other applications.

To get good performance from LDAP server, you do need have general knowledge in database (such as indexing, partition, query optimization...).
Part of work for LDAP Admin is just like a DBA.

idif file is a dump from LDAP database.

Relational database accessed by SQL (Oracle, Sybase, ...) is just one of several kinds of database.