Implementing a highly available network directory service

Abstract

This article presents a new technique for implementing the kind of directory services that frequently occur in the design of network applications conforming to the C.C.I.T.T. X.500 recommendation. A directory service is an important part of a computer network because it implements some logical to physical address translation to allow user and machine mobility in the system. This service has a high availability requirement in that the normal functioning of network applications rely heavily on their ability to locate communicating parties in a flexible and dynamic environment. In this article, a technique for implementing directory services that satisfy this availability requirement is presented. © 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc.