LDAP: Shared Contact Groups on a Network

The LDAP protocol was created to let users share contact information over a network by sharing access to a central directory. LDAP allows a company to maintain a shared set of contact information. Many companies keep a common LDAP address book for all their employees or for client contacts.

To learn how to add a remote LDAP directory to your available contact folders, see Contact Management. Remote groups of contacts appear under the On LDAP Servers item in the shortcut bar. They work like a local folder of contact cards, with the following exceptions:

• Network folders are only available when you are connected to the network. If you use a laptop or have a modem connection, you might want to copy or cache some of the network directory. You do this by dragging and dropping your desired contacts into the local contacts list.
• To prevent excess network traffic, Evolution does not normally load data from the LDAP server upon opening.
• Depending on your server settings, you might not be able to edit all the fields in a contact stored on an LDAP server. Some servers prohibit some or all changes, and others use a smaller set of fields than Evolution allows. Check with your system administrator if you need different settings.