How directory assistance works

To configure directory assistance, you create a directory assistance database from the template DA.NTF, and replicate it to the servers that will use it. A server must have a local replica of a directory assistance database to use directory assistance. Then you add the database file name to the Directory Assistance database name field in the Domino® Directory Server documents of these servers.

You create a Directory Assistance document in the directory assistance database to describe a particular directory and how it will be used, and to define how to connect to the directory and to find alternate replicas for failover. To set up directory assistance for a Domino® Directory or an Extended Directory Catalog , you select Notesin the Domain type field in the Directory Assistance document. To set up directory assistance for a remote LDAP directory, you select LDAP in the Domain type field. You use one Directory Assistance document to configure all the services for a directory and its replicas.

Each server process that provides directory services and detects a local directory assistance database configuration loads directory information configured in the directory assistance database into an internal memory table. During server startup and thereafter at five-minute intervals each server process checks for changes to the directory assistance database configuration and if found, each process reloads its internal memory table to reflect the changes.

To look up names in a Domino® Directory or an Extended Directory Catalog, a server uses NAMELookup calls. To look up names in a remote LDAP directory, a server uses a gateway feature that translates NAMELookup calls to LDAP operations, and then translates LDAP operations back to NAMELookup calls -- a Domino® server doesn't have to run the LDAP service to use a remote LDAP directory for directory services.