Like the name says, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol describes a protocol rather than a database. Practical usage of LDAP however, mostly focuses on the Data. The protocol is essential to let LDAP do what it's designed for, but working with an LDAP is data filtering and manipulation similar to working with a Database. This is what an LDAP server is at the end, a hierarchical database rather than a relational SQL Database.
LDAP was designed to access directory data over TCP/IP networks in the early days of the Internet. It is easy to implement and because of structural standards relaying on clearly defined schemas an LDAP talking application is able to access different LDAP sources with different organizational structures and finding still the data it needs. Because it's structured hierarchically it's fast and lesser fragile than more complex organized data. Even if the protocol reminds the same over decades, it remines the preferred solution to provide user, machine and organizational data in computer networks. That's because it's easy to access from anywhere and fast in gathering data with simple and powerful filter options. The most known LDAP is the Active Directory of Microsoft Windows which is mainly used to control the machines and users in a Windows Domain. But there are plenty other LDAP available, like Apache Directory Server, OpenLDAP, IBM Security Directory Server, SAMBA etc.
Because of a strong focus in Interface design and Identity Management sofision llc is highly familiar with the usage of LDAP, implementing LDAP client and server side-software.
