Migrating from a database user model to an enterprise user model provides solutions to administrative, security, and usability challenges in an enterprise environment. In an enterprise user model, all user information is moved to an LDAP directory service.
Enterprise user security provides the ability to easily and securely manage enterprise wide users by providing the following benefits:
Centralized storage of user credentials, roles, and privileges in an LDAP version 3-compliant directory server
Provides the infrastructure to enable single sign-on using X.509v3-compliant certificates, typically deployed where end-to-end SSL is required
Enhanced security through more timely maintenance and fewer user passwords
The centralization of user information inherent in the enterprise user model makes it easier to manage. Security administrators can perform necessary maintenance changes to user information immediately, thereby maintaining better control over access to critical network resources. In addition, users find the enterprise user model easier to use because they have fewer passwords to remember. So, they are less likely to choose easily guessed passwords or to write them down where others can copy them.
See Also:
"Introduction to Enterprise User Security" for detailed conceptual information about enterprise user security