Technique for accessing heterogeneous directory services in an APPN environment

A system configured to offload a central directory services (CDS) function from a mainframe of an advanced peer-to-peer networking (APPN) network to a database residing off the mainframe on a dissimilar network, the system comprising:

• at least one network node of the APPN network coupled to the dissimilar network and configured with a light-weight directory access protocol (LDAP) interface;
• a database with CDS functionality coupled to the dissimilar network, the CDS database organized as an LDAP Accessible Directory Services (LADS);
• and
• means, coupled to the at least one network node, for accessing the LADS in accordance with an LDAP protocol to enable communication between the LDAP interface and LADS.

A method of offloading a central directory services (CDS) function within a mainframe of an advanced peer-to-peer networking (APPN) network to a dissimilar network, the method comprising the steps of:

• offloading the CDS to the dissimilar network;
• modifying at least one node to access the CDS at the dissimilar network;
• tunneling a CDS request from another node to the modified node;
• and
• accessing of the CDS by the modified node on behalf of the requesting node.