Java Naming and Directory Interface

The Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) is a Java API for a directory service that allows Java software clients to discover and look up data and resources (in the form of Java objects) via a name. Like all Java APIs that interface with host systems, JNDI is independent of the underlying implementation. Additionally, it specifies a service provider interface (SPI) that allows directory service implementations to be plugged into the framework. The information looked up via JNDI may be supplied by a server, a flat file, or a database; the choice is up to the implementation used.

Typical uses of JNDI include:

• connecting a Java application to an external directory service (such as an address database or an LDAP server)
• allowing a Java Servlet to look up configuration information provided by the hosting web container