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Executive Summary: Directory Services Missing Links: Authentication & Single Sign-On

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At best, network operating systems are attempting to bridge some of these islands by providing a degree of integration among applications throughout the enterprise. But for the short term at least, it's unlikely that one all-encompassing standard will emerge.

A ubiquitous directory service should provide a common management interface throughout the enterprise for all servers, applications and services--including file and print sharing, messaging, Internet and intranet applications, and even desktop applications. In the past few years, more directory-aware applications and services have appeared. The most notable are Microsoft's BackOffice applications (which tie into Windows NT Domain security), Novell's NDS-aware applications such as BorderManager and GroupWise, and Netscape's SuiteSpot.

Still, it's the enterprise messaging systems--Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange, Netscape Messaging Server and Novell GroupWise--with their mail routing and address books, as well as the network operating systems, that are driving the market for enterprise directories.

It's really not surprising that vendors haven't come closer to standardization. Two years ago, we scrutinized several existing directory technologies, including NDS, Banyan Systems' StreetTalk, IBM Corp.'s implementation of DCE (Distributed Computing Environment) and Sun Microsystems' NIS see "Directory Services: Big Burdens Face Today's Network Managers," at www.networkcomputing.com/720/720f2.html). At the time, there was cautious optimism, with a lot of groundwork being done, yet few systems that were ready to fully support an enterprise directory.

Since then, NDS has come the farthest of these solutions (even offering products such as NDS for NT). Sun's NIS is an aging technology that's being supplanted by LDAP-based strategies, while StreetTalk and DCE are disappearing from the radar screen. If Microsoft keeps its promise with Windows 2000, its ADS (Active Directory Services) will pose a serious challenge to NDS. Meanwhile, Netscape continues to push the envelope by delivering standards-based directory applications.

Forces for Change
Along with the products, several key elements of the directory landscape have changed. Giant directory initiatives, such as X.500 and DCE, are dead. Meanwhile, Internet and intranet messaging use and applications development have exploded, and X.509 PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) has arrived.

Monolithic computing initiatives such as X.400 messaging, X.500 directory services and DCE all promised horizontally integrated, homogeneous computing environments that would share a common enterprise directory and security services. While many organizations mandated these initiatives, none gained the critical mass to force Novell, Microsoft and Sun to abandon their own directory initiatives.