FOREST HILL, Md., Sept. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Apache Software Foundation's (ASF) Directory Project today announced its continued certification to the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) product standard as defined by The Open Group. The Apache Directory Server 1.0 (ApacheDS) is the first and, currently, only Open Source LDAP server among several certified commercial directory solutions. The Apache Directory Project's enterprise directory server platform enables other Internet services to store their data within the directory so they may be managed using LDAP. ApacheDS is currently being utilized worldwide as an embedded LDAP component in both commercial and Open Source products such as network appliances, application servers and standalone software packages. In addition, ApacheDS has become the de facto standard in enabling Unit testing of LDAP code in Java software applications.

The Apache Directory project continues its commitment to the LDAP product standard, thanks to the ongoing support of The Open Group. The certification of Apache DS 1.0 was originally achieved by the Apache Directory team in September 2006. Apache Directory Server was the first Open Source LDAP server to become certified and join a group of commercial directory solutions that had already achieved certification.

Reliable, Interoperable Solutions

Defined by The Open Group's Directory Interoperability Forum, LDAP Certification signifies guaranteed conformance of directory servers to LDAP, the application protocol that runs over TCP/IP for and provides access to directory services. ApacheDS 1.0 was first certified in September 2006 as fully conformant to the specifications defined in the Product Standard. The Open Group today has approved the extension of the certification for ApacheDS 1.0 for an additional one year term.

"As ApacheDS is designed to be embedded into or integrated with other solutions, interoperability is key," explained Stefan Zoerner, Apache Directory Project Management Committee member and certification lead. "We are pleased to collaborate with The Open Group to guarantee our server's interoperability with LDAP clients." ApacheDS is a 100% pure Java solution designed to run both as a standalone directory server or embedded within arbitrary Java components; for operation, only a Java virtual machine is needed. This flexibility leads to a rich set of possible operating environments for ApacheDS, with native installers available for Linux, MacOS, Solaris and Windows. The Open Group product standard ensures that ApacheDS works together with any standards-compliant client such as mail programs, application/Web servers, etc. Through its certification, ApacheDS is guaranteed to remain conformant throughout fixes, functional enhancements, and performance improvements.

Growing from Strength to Strength

This demonstration of standard compliance was made possible by a generous donation from The Open Group by providing The Apache Software Foundation the compliance test suite and the ability to discuss technical questions with their experts.

"The Open Group welcomes Apache's continued commitment to the LDAP Certified program. Standards enable interoperability and product choice - but only when there is genuine conformance," said Dr. Chris Harding, Forum Director for SOA and Semantic Interoperability, The Open Group. "Certification of the Apache Directory Server gives its users the assurance they are looking for that it really conforms to the IETF LDAP RFCs."

Conformity to the standard also requires future releases of ApacheDS to pass the extensive compliance tests. The Apache Directory Project anticipates continued close collaboration with The Open Group, and aims to gain certification for their current development stream, ApacheDS 1.5, in advance of its first stable release.

To download ApacheDS 1.0, preview ApacheDS 1.5, subscribe to mailing lists, and provide feedback, comments, or contributions, please see http://directory.apache.org/apacheds/1.0/apacheds-v10-basic-users-guide....

About The Apache Directory Project

The Apache Directory Project provides enterprise-grade Java- and Eclipse-based Open Source directory solutions under the auspices of The Apache Software Foundation. The Project's standards-based architecture enables a range of services to be implemented and snapped in using a common networking layer that can be easily customized to the needs of the environment. For more information, visit http://directory.apache.org/

About The Open Group

The Open Group is a vendor-neutral and technology-neutral consortium, which drives the creation of Boundaryless Information Flow(TM) that will enable access to integrated information within and between enterprises based on open standards and global interoperability. The Open Group works with customers, suppliers, consortia and other standard bodies. Its role is to capture, understand and address current and emerging requirements, establish policies and share best practices; to facilitate interoperability, develop consensus, and evolve and integrate specifications and open source technologies; to offer a comprehensive set of services to enhance the operational efficiency of consortia; and to operate the industry's premier certification service. Further information on The Open Group can be found at http://www.opengroup.org/.

About the Apache Software Foundation (ASF)

Established in 1999, The Apache Software Foundation provides organizational, legal, and financial support for a broad range of Open Source software projects, including Apache HTTP Server - the world's most popular Web server software for more than a decade. The Foundation provides an established framework for intellectual property and financial contributions that simultaneously limits contributors' potential legal exposure. Through a collaborative and meritocratic development process, Apache projects deliver enterprise-grade, freely available software products that attract large communities of users. The pragmatic Apache License makes it easy for all users, commercial and individual, to deploy Apache products. For more information, please see http://www.apache.org/

CONTACT: Emmanuel Lecharny, Chair of the Apache Directory Project
Management Committee, (+33) 6 08 33 32 61, elecharny@apache.org

Web Site: http://directory.apache.org/
http://www.apache.org/
http://www.opengroup.org/