Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) Version 2.5
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Published: May 1, 1998
Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) abstract the capabilities of different directory services from different network vendors to present a single set of directory service interfaces for managing network resources. Administrators and developers can use Active Directory Service Interfaces to manage the resources in a directory service, no matter which network environment contains the resource. ADSI enables administrators to automate common tasks such as adding users and groups, managing printers, and setting permissions on network resources.
ADSI gives developers access to multiple directory service providers through an open set of interfaces. Applications written to ADSI will work with any directory service that offers an ADSI provider. For example, with ADSI, applications can access LDAP, NDS, Active Directory, and other directories with ADSI interfaces as long as the appropriate service providers are available.
About This Version
This release of Microsoft® Active Directory Service Interfaces version 2.5 (ADSI) enables developers to create directory management applications using high-level tools such as Microsoft Visual Basic® , Java, or C/C++. ADSI frees developers from having to worry about the underlying differences between the different namespaces used by various directory protocols, such as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Windows NT Server 4.0 Directory Services, the NetWare bindery, Novell Directory Service (NDS), and Active Directory.
ADSI 2.5 includes providers - objects that interface between the client and server portions of the directory service. Developers or administrators can write scripts or applications that include these providers.