Purpose

Microsoft Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) is an independent mode of Active Directory that provides dedicated directory services for applications.

Where Applicable

Although AD LDS independently provides directory storage and access for applications, AD LDS uses the same standard application programming interfaces (APIs) as Active Directory to manage and access the application data. The resulting conceptual and programming compatibility makes AD LDS ideal for applications that require directory services, but do not require the complete infrastructure features of Active Directory.

Developer Audience

AD LDS is a directory services solution for developers who are familiar with programming for Active Directory. Developers who are unfamiliar with Active Directory will find that integrating AD LDS as a directory service for their applications is easier than using the complete features of Active Directory. In both cases, AD LDS provides a directory services solution for developers who seek compatibility and consistency with Active Directory.

Run-Time Requirements

AD LDS runs with the full feature set on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 or any edition of Windows Server 2003. Additionally, AD LDS also runs on Microsoft Windows XP Professional with some feature limitations for standalone development.

In This Section

See Also

Active Directory
Active Directory Service Interfaces
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
System.DirectoryServices

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Build date: 11/1/2007