A search is an operation that targets data common to multiple entries, such as the data collected, by an Internet search engine, about a topic.ĭirectories may replicate data widely to increase availability and reliability, and thus reduce response time. Directories are tuned to respond quickly to high-volume lookup or search operations.Ī lookup is an operation that targets a specific, unique entry, such as a domain name. If they are permitted at all, directory updates are typically simple all-or-nothing changes. For this reason, a directory does not usually implement the transaction or roll-back schemes that regular databases require. By contrast, a database contains large amounts of data for each entry that may, or may not, be directly relevant to the entry.

Also, a directory contains data that is concise and strictly relevant to an entry. A directory is similar to a database, but typically contains more descriptive, attribute-based data that is, data read more often than it is written.

Directory domain services