Directory services, also known as the x.500 standard, provide location information for different entities on the network. Their main function is to act as an information booth, directing resource requests on the network to the location of the resource. When a client is requesting to use a printer or to ?nd a server or even a speci?c application, the directory service tells the client where the resource is on the network and whether the resource is available (see Figure ). This is a service that more and more networking systems are moving towards. As networking systems have developed, they have begun to include this feature. This is similar to a large company having an information desk, whereas a small company probably would not. Examples of computer systems that use directory services include Novell NetWare 4.11, Banyan VINES, Microsoft Exchange Server, and the soon-to-be-released Windows NT 5.0.
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