What Does Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) Mean?
Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) is a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)-compliant directory service used for building directory-enabled applications.ADAM is intended for users who do not want to set up a domain controller to enable directory services. It runs on Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP Professional. Following the release of Windows Server 2008m ADAM came to be known as Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS).
Techopedia Explains Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM)
ADAM runs as a non-OS service with multiple instances running concurrently on the server. Each instance uses LDAP to communicate with other ADAM instances and can be configured independently. By integrating with Active Directory Federated Services (ADFS), ADAM can be used to achieve single sign-on functionality. ADAM consists of the following components:
