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Open Client Client-Library/C Reference Manual

Chapter 2 Topics

Directory services

Directory service providers and drivers

Directory service providers and drivers

Directory driver configuration determines the default directory source for a Client-Application. The directory is provided by either:

• The Sybase interfaces file, which is simply an operating system file on the local host machine. If not explicitly set, the interfaces file is the default.

• Network-based directory service software, such as Novell's NetWare Directory Services (NDS), Banyan's StreetTalk Directory Assistance (STDA), Distributed Computing Environment Cell Directory Services (DCE/CDS), Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), or the Windows NT Registry.

See "Directory service provider" for more information.

For information on configuring directory drivers, see the Open Client/Server Configuration Guide for your platform.

A distributed directory service allows Client-Library and Server-Library to use a network-based rather than the Sybase interfaces file as the source for server address information. Using a network directory service can simplify the administration of an environment that contains many client machines.

For example, on a Novell network, Novell Directory Services (NDS) can be accessed by client applications. When a new Sybase server is added to the network, only the NDS directory needs to be updated rather than several interface files.

A network-based directory use requires a Sybase directory driver that interacts with the network directory service. For Client-Library applications, the CS_DS_PROVIDER connection property specifies the directory source to be used by calls to ct_connect and ct_ds_lookup.

Client-Library routines ct_ds_lookup, ct_ds_objinfo, and ct_ds_dropobj allow directory browsing. Using these routines, an application can search for available servers in the directory or interfaces file.