[A] globally unique identifier representing an individual's identity. [INFOSEC-99]

provides the same information as a canonical name, formatted as a series of attributes, sequenced in reverse order from the canonical name. CN = Common name or container. OU = Organization unit. DC = [..]

An LDAP attribute that uniquely identifies an entry in the directory. For example, cn=Alban Berg,ou=Berlin,o=IBM uniquely identifies a user whose common name is Alban Berg, whose organizational unit i [..]

In an X.509 certificate, a field that uniquely specifies the user or group to which the certificate is bound. Usually, the Distinguished Name will contain a user’s name or User ID, an organizational n [..]

Distinguished names are string representations that uniquely identify users, systems, and organizations. In general, DNs are used in LDAP-compliant directories. In certificate management systems, DNs are used to identify the owner of a certificate and the authority that issued the certificate.