4
Preliminary Tasks

This chapter guides you through some tasks you must perform before configuring and using Oracle Internet Directory, namely, starting the OID Monitor and starting a directory server instance. You also need to reset the default security configuration and reset the password for the database.

This section contains these topics:

Task 1: Start the OID Monitor

The OID Monitor must be running to process commands to start and stop the server.

Note:

Although you can start the directory server without using OID Monitor and the OID Control Utility, Oracle Corporation recommends that you use them. This way, if the directory server unexpectedly terminates, then OID Monitor automatically restarts it.

This section contains these topics:

Starting the OID Monitor

To start the OID Monitor:

Set the following environment variables:
- ORACLE_HOME
- ORACLE_SID or a proper TNS CONNECT string
- NLS_LANG (APPROPRIATE_LANGUAGE.UTF8). The default language set at installation is AMERICAN_AMERICA.

At the system prompt, type:

oidmon [connect=net_service_name] [sleep=seconds] start







Argument 


Description 





connect=net_service_name 



Specifies the net service name of the database to which you want to connect. This is the network service name set in the tnsnames.ora file. This argument is optional. 




sleep=seconds 



Specifies number of seconds after which the OID Monitor should check for new requests from OID Control and for requests to restart any servers that may have stopped. The default sleep time is 10 seconds. This argument is optional. 




start 



Starts the OID Monitor process

Argument	Description
connect=net_service_name	Specifies the net service name of the database to which you want to connect. This is the network service name set in the `tnsnames.ora` file. This argument is optional.
sleep=seconds	Specifies number of seconds after which the OID Monitor should check for new requests from OID Control and for requests to restart any servers that may have stopped. The default sleep time is 10 seconds. This argument is optional.
start	Starts the OID Monitor process

For example:

oidmon connect=dbs1 sleep=15 start

Stopping the OID Monitor

To stop the OID Monitor daemon, at the system prompt, type:

oidmon [connect=net_service_name] stop

Argument	Description
connect=net_service_name	Specifies net service name of the database to which you want to connect. This is the net service name set in the `tnsnames.ora` file.
stop	Stops the OID Monitor process

For example:

oidmon connect=dbsl stop

Task 2: Start a Server Instance

Once the OID Monitor is running, start a server instance by using the OID Control Utility.

Note:

The value for the instance flag in the OID Control Utility should always be greater than or equal to one.

This section contains these topics:

Starting an Oracle Directory Server Instance

The syntax for starting an Oracle directory server instance is:

oidctl connect=net_service_name server=oidldapd instance=server_instance_number 
[configset=configset_number] [flags=' -p port_number -work maximum_number_of_
worker_threads_per_server -debug debug_level -l change_logging' -server number_
of_server_processes] start

Argument	Description
`connect`=net_service_name	If you already have a `tnsnames.ora` file configured, this is the net service name specified in that file, located in `ORACLE_HOME/network/admin`
`server`=oidldapd	Type of server to start (valid values are OIDLDAPD and OIDREPLD). This is not case-sensitive.
`instance`=server_instance_number	Instance number of the server to start. Should be a number between 1 and 1000.
`configset`=configset_number	Configset number used to start the server. This defaults to `configset0` if not set. This should be a number between 0 and 1000.
`-p` port_number	Specifies a port number during server instance startup. The default port number is 389.
`-work` maximum_number_of_worker_threads_per_server	Specifies the maximum number of worker threads for this server
`-debug` debug_level	Specifies a debug level during Oracle directory server instance startup
`-l` change_logging	Turns replication change logging on and off. To turn it off, enter `-l false`. To turn it on, do one of the following: omit the `-l` flag enter simply `-l` enter `-l true`
`-server` number_of_server_processes	Specifies the number of server processes to start on this port
`start`	Starts the server specified in the `server` argument.

For example, to start a directory server instance whose net service name is dbs1, using configset5,at port 12000, with a debug level of 1024, an instance number 3, and in which change logging is turned off, type at the system prompt:

oidctl connect=dbs1 server=oidldapd instance=3 configset=5 flags='-p 12000 

-debug 1024 -l ' start

When starting and stopping an Oracle directory server instance, the server name and instance number are mandatory, as are the commands start or stop. All other arguments are optional.

All keyword value pairs within the flags arguments must be separated by a single space.

Single quotes are mandatory around the flags.

The configset identifier defaults to zero (configset0) if not set.

Note:

If you choose to use a port other than the default port (389 for non-secure usage or 636 for secure usage), you must tell the clients which port to use to locate the Oracle Internet Directory. If you use the default ports, clients can connect to the Oracle Internet Directory without referencing a port in their connect requests.

Stopping an Oracle Directory Server Instance

OID Monitor must be running whenever you start or stop directory server instances.

At the system prompt, type:

oidctl connect=net_service_name server=OIDLDAPD instance=server_instance_number 
stop

For example:

oidctl connect=dbs1 server=oidldapd instance=3 stop

Starting an Oracle Directory Replication Server Instance

The syntax for starting the Oracle directory replication server is:

oidctl connect=net_service_name server=oidrepld instance=server_instance_number 
[configset=configset_number] flags=' -p directory_server_port_number -d debug_
level -h directory_server_host_name

-m [true | false]-z transaction_size ' start

Argument	Description
`connect`=net_service_name	If you already have a `tnsnames.ora` file configured, then this is the name specified in that file, which is located in ORACLE_HOME/network/admin
`server`=oidrepld	Type of server to start (valid values are OIDLDAPD and OIDREPLD). This is not case-sensitive.
`instance`=server_instance_number	Instance number of the server to start. Should be a number between 1 and 1000.
`configset`=configset_number	Configset number used to start the server. The default is `configset0`. This should be a number between 0 and 1000.
`-p` directory_server_port_number	Port number that the replication server uses to connect to the directory on TCP port directory_server_port_number. If you do not specify this option, the tool connects to the default port (389).
`-d` debug_level	Specifies a debug level during replication server instance startup
`-h` directory_server_host_name	Specifies the directory_server_host_name to which the replication server connects, rather than to the default host, that is, your local computer. Directory_server_host_name can be a computer name or an IP address. (Replication server only)
`-m [`true`\|`false`]`	Turns conflict resolution on and off. Valid values are `true` and `false`. The default is true. (Replication server only)
`-z` transaction_size	Specifies the number of changes applied in each replication update cycle. If you do not specify this, the number is determined by the Oracle directory server sizelimit parameter, which has a default setting of 1024. You can configure this latter setting.
start	Starts the server specified in the server argument.

For example, to start the replication server with an instance=1, at port 12000, with debugging set to 1024, type at the system prompt:

oidctl connect=dbs1 server=oidrepld instance=1 flags='-p 12000 -h eastsun11 -d 
1024' start

When starting and stopping an Oracle directory replication server, the -h flag, which specifies the host name, is mandatory. All other flags are optional.

All keyword value pairs within the flags arguments must be separated by a single space.

Single quotes are mandatory around the flags.

The configset identifier defaults to zero (configset0) if not set.

Note:

Stopping an Oracle Directory Replication Server Instance

OID Monitor must be running whenever you start or stop directory server instances.

At the system prompt, type:

oidctl connect=net_service_name server=OIDREPLD instance=server_instance_number 
stop

For example:

oidctl connect=dbs1 server=oidrepld instance=1 stop

Restarting Directory Server Instances

If you use OID Monitor and the OID Control utility, then you can both stop and restart the directory server in one command, namely, restart. This is useful when you want to refresh the server cache immediately, rather than at the next scheduled time. When the directory server restarts, it maintains the same parameters it had before it stopped. You cannot override these original parameters by entering new ones in the restart command.

To restart a directory server instance, at the system prompt, type:

oidctl connect=net_service_name server={oidldapd|oidrepld} instance=server_
instance_number  restart

OID Monitor must be running whenever you start, stop, or restart directory server instances.

If you try to contact a server that is down, you receive from the SDK the error message 81--LDAP_SERVER_DOWN.

If you change a configuration set entry that is referenced by an active server instance, you must stop that instance and restart it to effect the changed value in the configuration set entry on that server instance. You can either issue the STOP command followed by the START command, or you can use the RESTART command. RESTART both stops and restarts the server instance.

For example, suppose that Oracle directory server instance1 is started, using configset3, and with the net service name dbs1. Further, suppose that, while instance1 is running, you change one of the attributes in configset3. To enable the change in configset3 to take effect on instance1, you enter the following command:

oidctl connect=dbs1 server=oidldapd instance=1 restart

If there are more than one instance of the Oracle directory server running on that node using configset3, then you can restart all the instances at once by using the following command syntax:

oidctl connect=dbs1 server=oidldapd restart

Note that this command restarts all the instances running on the node, whether they are using configset3 or not.

Important Note:

During the restart process, clients cannot access the Oracle directory server instance. However, the process takes only a few seconds to execute.

Troubleshooting Directory Server Instance Startup

If the directory server fails to start, you can override all user-specified configuration parameters to start the directory server and then return the configuration sets to a workable state by using the ldapmodify operation.

To start the directory server by using its hard-coded default parameters instead of the configuration parameters stored in the directory, type at the system prompt:

oidctl connect=net_service_name flags='-p port_number -f'

The -f option in the flags starts the server with hard-coded configuration values, overriding any defined configuration sets except for the values in configset0.

To see debug log files generated by the OID Control Utility, navigate to $ORACLE_HOME/ldap/log.

Task 3: Reset the Default Security Configuration

When you first install Oracle Internet Directory, the default configuration grants to all users read, browse, and search access to all entries in the directory. At the very beginning, you need to establish and implement an access control policy to ensure that each user receives the appropriate authorization. Oracle Corporation specifically recommends that you control access to the subentry subSchemaSubEntry and its children because these objects contain information about the directory.

Moreover, when you load directory entries, you are creating a hierarchy of directory entries. You must therefore establish:

Permissions to load entries into this hierarchy

Directory access for clients that need read, modify, and write access to the directory entries

See Also:

Chapter 13, "Managing Directory Access Control" for a detailed explanation of access control options and instructions for setting up security
Chapter 5, "Using the Administration Tools" for information about the administration tools you use to configure security
Appendix C, "Schema Elements" for syntax and usage notes for the command-line tools

Task 4: Reset the Default Password for the Database

Oracle Internet Directory uses a password when connecting to an Oracle database. The default for this password when you install Oracle Internet Directory is ODS. You can change this password by using the OID Database Password Utility.

See Also:

"OID Database Password Utility Syntax" for syntax and usage notes