Tech moves fast! Stay ahead of the curve with Techopedia!
Join nearly 200,000 subscribers who receive actionable tech insights from Techopedia.
Directory services markup language (DSML) is a proposed set of rules for using extensible markup language (XML) to define the data content and structure of a directory and maintain it on distributed directories. It permits XML-based enterprise applications to leverage resource information from directories in a native environment and serves as a common ground for XML-based applications. This permits XML and directories to work together, enabling applications to use directories efficiently.
DSML plays an important role in customer service and supply chain applications, which rely on a customized presentation of data.
DSML was introduced in 1999 by Bowstreet and provides developers with a simple and convenient way to implement XML-based applications widely on the Internet.DSML's initial supporters were AOL-Netscape, Sun Microsystems, Oracle, Novell, Microsoft and IBM.
DSML permits the use of XML syntax and tools to access directories within XML programs. The document content description defines the DSML.
DSML allows developers to work with multiple dissimilar directories and permits them to access Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)-enabled directories without writing an LDAP interface.
A DSML transaction includes the following steps:
DSML documents describe directory entries and directory schemas. Each directory entry has a unique name called a distinguished name and property value pairs called directory attributes. All directory entries are also members of object classes. The object classes constrain directory attributes made by an entry and are described in the directory schema. This schema is included either in the same DSML document or a separate document. Metadata information and XML tags define directory schemas. Data and schema information requested by XML applications from directories is consolidated into a single document. DSML is installed on current directories by installing extensions.
Join nearly 200,000 subscribers who receive actionable tech insights from Techopedia.