2. Relationship to X.500

This technical specification defines LDAP in terms of [X.500] as an X.500 access mechanism. An LDAP server MUST act in accordance with the X.500 (1993) series of International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication Standardization (ITU-T) Recommendations when providing the service. However, it is not required that an LDAP server make use of any X.500 protocols in providing this service. For example, LDAP can be mapped onto any other directory system so long as the X.500 data and service models [X.501][X.511], as used in LDAP, are not violated in the LDAP interface.

This technical specification explicitly incorporates portions of X.500(93). Later revisions of X.500 do not automatically apply to this technical specification.