Which protocol is used to access data from the Active Directory database?

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is the protocol specifically designed for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over an Internet Protocol (IP) network. Active Directory, which is a directory service developed by Microsoft, utilizes LDAP as the primary protocol for querying and modifying directory information such as user accounts, groups, and other resources within the directory.

LDAP operates by allowing clients to communicate with the directory server to perform operations like searching for specific entries, retrieving data, and updating records, making it essential for organizations that use Active Directory for identity and access management. This protocol is optimized for directory-related tasks and supports a variety of operations that are inherently part of directory management.

The other methods mentioned serve entirely different purposes:

• Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is primarily used for transferring web pages and data on the World Wide Web.

• File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is designed for transferring files between computers over a network.

• Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is used for sending emails.

These protocols do not provide functionality for accessing or managing directory services like Active Directory, which is why they can be ruled out in this context.