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Overview - XDS Interface Description

The XDS interface consists of a number of functions, together with many OM classes of OM objects, which are used as the parameters and results of the functions. Both the functions and the OM objects are based closely on the abstract service that is specified in the standards (see The Directory: Abstract Service Definition, ISO 9594-3, CCITT X.511).

The interface models the directory interactions as service requests made through a number of interface functions, which take a number of input parameters. Each valid request causes an operation within the directory service, which eventually returns a status and any result of the operation.

All interactions between the user and the directory service belong to a session, which is represented by an OM object passed as the first parameter to most interface functions.

The other parameters to the functions include a context and various service-specific parameters. The context includes a number of parameters that are common to many functions, and that seldom change from operation to operation.

Each of the components of this model are described in the following topics along with other features of the interface, such as security.