LDAP的英文全稱是LightweightDirectoryAccessProtocol，一般都簡稱為LDAP。它是基於X.500標準的，但是簡單多了並且可以根據需要定製。與X.500不同，LDAP支援TCP/IP，這對訪問Internet是必須的。LDAP的核心規範在RFC中都有定義，所有與LDAP相關的RFC都可以在LDAPmanRFC網頁中找到

祥情參見http://www.cnpaf.net/Class/wlxy/055181744095441934.htm

RFC is an acronym for Request for Comments and official documents from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) with an unlimited distribution. RFC‘s are numbered in a series and are referred to by numbers.

RFC是Request for Comments首字母的縮寫，它是IETF（網際網路工程任務推進組織）的一個無限制分發文件。RFC被編號並且用編號來標識。

RFC‘s contain information for the Internet Community including users and system administrators as well as developers. Some RFC‘s describe standardized protocols such as FTP (File Transfer Protocol), SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3), IMAP4 (Internet Message Access Protocol 4), and DNS (Domain Name Service). In fact, it is not unusual for a protocol to be described in RFC‘s and sometimes, a protocol is updated by a RFC.

RFC包含供網際網路社群使用者、系統管理員及開發者使用的資訊。一些RFC描述了標準化協議（如FTP、SMTP、POP3、IMAP4和DNS）。實際上，一個協議以RFC的形式被描述是非常正常的，一個協議是透過RFC來升級的。