In computing , an organizational unit ( OU ) provides a way of classifying objects located in directories , or names in a digital certificate hierarchy , typically used either to differentiate between objects with the same name (John Doe in OU "marketing" versus John Doe in OU "customer service"), or to parcel out authority to create and manage objects (for example: to give rights for user-creation to local technicians instead of having to manage all accounts from a single central group). Organizational units most commonly appear in X.500 directories, X.509 certificates, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directories, Active Directory (AD), and Lotus Notes directories and certificate trees, but they may feature in almost any modern directory or digital certificate container grouping system.
8-415: In most systems, organizational units appear within a top-level organization grouping or organization certificate, called a domain. In many systems one OU can also exist within another OU. When OUs are nested, as one OU contains another OU, this creates a relationship where the contained OU is called the child and the container is called the parent. Thus, OUs are used to create a hierarchy of containers within
16-473: A common policy to them. Organizational Units give a hierarchical structure, and when properly designed can ease administration. Novell and Lotus supplied the two largest software directory systems. Each of these companies started with flat account and directory structures, and encountered the support and name-conflict limitations inherent in their flat structures. They adopted the X.500 OU concept into their next-generation software around 1993 – Novell with
24-414: A domain. Only OUs within the same domain can have relationships. OUs of the same name in different domains are independent. The name organizational unit appears to represent a single organization with multiple units (departments) within that organization. However, OUs do not always follow this model. They might represent geographical regions, job-functions, associations with other (external) groups, or
32-538: Is a discontinued LDAP directory server and DSML server written in C and originally developed by Sun Microsystems . The Java System Directory Server is a component of the Java Enterprise System . Earlier iterations of Sun Java System Directory Server were known as Sun ONE Directory Server , iPlanet Directory Server , and, before that, Netscape Directory Server . Sun Java System Directory Server became Sun Directory Server Enterprise Edition and
40-660: Is currently known as Oracle Directory Server Enterprise Edition ( ODSEE ). The software was available free of charge for perpetual usage in individual, commercial, service provider, or research and instructional environments. It is still available for download at the Oracle website, the new official site for Sun products; however only the latest version (DSEE 7, rebranded as ODSEE 11.1.1.5.0) can be found in this site. Sun started developing OpenDS in Java in 2011, due to too many issues with developing Sun Java System Directory Server with
48-413: The C language. The code base has not been updated since 2011. Directory Server supports the following RFCs : 2079, 2246, 2247, 2307, 2713, 2788, 2798, 2831, 2849, 2891, 3045, 3062, 3296, 3829, 3866, 4370, 4422, 4505, 4511, 4512, 4513, 4514, 4515, 4516, 4517, 4519, 4522, 4524, and 4532. Directory Server is supported by Sun on the following platforms: This network -related software article
56-426: The release of Novell Directory Services (subsequently known as eDirectory), and Lotus with the release of the third version of Lotus Notes. Microsoft allegedly used Novell's directory as a blueprint for the first released versions of AD, but this claim appears suspect, given that X.500 served as the "granddaddy" of all directory systems. Sun Java System Directory Server The Sun Java System Directory Server
64-431: The technology used in relation to the objects. Examples would include: In Sun Java System Directory Server and Microsoft Active Directory (AD), an organizational unit (OU) can contain any other unit, including other OUs, users, groups, and computers. Organizational units in separate domains may have identical names but are independent of each other. OUs let an administrator group computers and users so as to apply
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