A Directory is a SERVICE. It should run real world networks with AIX, HP-UX, Solaris, BSD, Linux, NT/2000/XP, and Netware. Microsoft Active Directory is an APPLICATION that only runs on Windows systems. If you have ALL Windows servers and workstations (of the same generation), then investigate using AD -you may still find eDirectory on Windows is a better solution.
OPEN STANDARDS that eDirectory supports include:
eNDS (eDirectory 8x) based on the X.500 international standard
for directory hierarchy, supports more Internet protocols and de
facto standards than any other directory: ActiveX, Bindery,
DHCP/BOOTP, DNS, HTTP, IETF dial-in, Java, LDAPv3, NCP, NDAP, NT
Domains, ODBC, PKI, PKCS10, RADIUS, SMB, SSLv3, X.509, XML, and
others. Some of the application development interfaces include
ActiveX controls, ADSI, C/C++, Java, JavaBeans, JavaScript, JNDI,
LDAP, NDS SDK, NetBasic, OCX, ODBC, Novell LDAP Libraries for C,
Oracle NCA, Perl, REXX, Visual Café, and VisualBasic.
Since the '90s Novell has moved toward open standards and below are standards groups that may impact your particular network directory service.
Here are some of the best (most experienced) Directory consultants around - give them a shot at you consulting needs for identity management or other Directory type services: