LDAP stands for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol; as the name suggests, it began as a client-server protocol used to access a directory, but there was so little development in directories that it soon took on the entire role of a directory server. If we break a directory down, the Directory Access Protocol (DAP) is just one small part of the many pieces of an LDAP server:
Directory Information Database (DIB): This is the database where the directory is stored
Directory Information Tree (DIT): This is the hierarchical organization that represents entries in the DIB, organizations, organizational units, and so on
Directory System Protocol (DSP): This represents the server to server communication
Directory Access Protocol (DAP): This represents the client-to-server communication
Directory Information Shadowing Protocol (DISP): This is the replication of the directory...