AD LDS does not have the infrastructure capabilities of Active Directory.ĪD LDS does not include directory services for the Windows operating system, so it concentrates on the requirements of specific applications. It also facilitates independent, flexible schemas, and naming contexts. Its independence enables local control and autonomy of directory services for specific applications. It operates either as a standalone data store, or it operates with replication. The APIs include those of Active Directory, Active Directory Service Interfaces, Lightweight Data Access Protocol, and System.DirectoryServices.ĪD LDS operates independently of Active Directory and independently of Active Directory domains or forests. It uses standard application programming interfaces (APIs) for accessing the application data. It provides a data store and services for accessing the data store. AD LDS is a mode of Active Directory that provides directory services for applications.ĪD LDS provides dedicated directory services for applications. What Is Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services?Īctive Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) is an independent mode of Active Directory, minus infrastructure features, that provides directory services for applications.
