What's New in Oracle Internet Directory?

This section provides a brief description of new features introduced with the latest releases of Oracle Internet Directory, and points you to more information about each one. It contains these topics:

• New Features Introduced with Oracle Internet Directory Release 3.0.1

• New Features Introduced with Oracle Internet Directory Release 2.1.1

New Features Introduced with Oracle Internet Directory Release 3.0.1

This section describes the new features introduced with Oracle Internet Directory release 3.0.1.

• Capability to run multiple Oracle Internet Directory instances on the same host

  This new feature enables you to run more than one installation of Oracle Internet Directory on a single host. You can then replicate between them or use this new feature as part of a failover strategy.

  See Also: "Running Multiple Installations of Oracle Internet Directory on One Host"

• Delegated Administration Service

  This new service enables directory users to modify their own personal data--such as addresses, phone numbers, and photos--without the intervention of an administrator. It also enables users to search other parts of the directory to which they have access. This frees directory administrators for other tasks in the enterprise.

  See Also: Chapter 10, "Managing the Delegated Administration Service"

• Oracle Directory Integration platform

  This new feature enables you to synchronize various directories with Oracle Internet Directory. It also makes it easier for third party metadirectory vendors and developers to develop and deploy their own connectivity agents.

  See Also: Part VII: "The Oracle Directory Integration Platform"

• Password policy management

  Password policy management enables you to establish and enforce rules for how passwords are used.

  See Also: "Password Policies" for a conceptual discussion "Managing Password Policies"

• Upgrade procedures

  These procedures enable you to upgrade from Oracle Internet Directory release 2.1.1.

  See Also: Appendix E, "Upgrading from Oracle Internet Directory Release 2.1.1"

New Features Introduced with Oracle Internet Directory Release 2.1.1

This section describes the new features introduced with Oracle Internet Directory release 2.1.1.

• Attribute options, including language codes

  Attribute options enable you to specify how the value for an attribute is made available in a search or a compare operation. For example, suppose that an employee has two addresses, one in London, the other in New York. Options for that employee's address attribute could allow you to store both addresses. Users could then search for either address.

  Attribute options can include language codes. For example, options for John Doe's givenName attribute could enable you to store his given name in both French and Japanese. A user could then search for the name in either language.

  See Also: "Attribute Options" for a conceptual discussion "Managing Entries with Attribute Options by Using Oracle Directory Manager" "Managing Entries with Attribute Options by Using Command-Line Tools"

• Change log purging enhancements

  These enhancements enable you to specify the type of change log purging to use: change number-based or time-based.

  See Also: "Change Log Purging" for a conceptual discussion "Directory Replication Server Parameters"

• Enhanced support for these operational attributes:
  • creatorsName

  • createTimestamp

  • modifiersName

  • modifyTimestamp

  This enhanced support enables you to use one or more of these attributes in searches.

  See Also: "Kinds of Attribute Information" for a conceptual discussion "Example 7: Searching for All User Attributes and Specified Operational Attributes" for an example of a search operation using the createTimestamp attribute

• Migration from other LDAP-compliant directories

  This new feature enables you to migrate data from other LDAP v3-compatible directories into Oracle Internet Directory.

  See Also: Appendix F, "Migrating Data from Other LDAP-Compliant Directories"

• Object class explosion

  Object class explosion enables you to add or perform an operation on an entry without specifying the entire hierarchy of superclasses associated with that entry.

  See Also: ""Guidelines for Adding Object Classes" for an explanation of how to use this feature when adding object classes

• OID database statistics collection tool

  This tool assists in capacity planning. It helps you analyze the various database schema objects so that you can estimate the statistics.

  See Also: "Using the OID Database Statistics Collection Tool"

• Password protection enhancements

  This new feature enhances the available password protection by storing passwords as hashed values. Storing passwords as one-way hashed values--rather than as encrypted values--more fully secures them because a malicious user can neither read nor decrypt them. You can select one of the following hashing algorithms:

  • MD4--A one-way hash function that produces a 128-bit hash

  • MD5--An improved, and more complex, version of MD4

  • SHA--Secure Hash Algorithm, which produces a 160-bit hash, longer than MD5. The algorithm is slightly slower than MD5, but the larger message digest makes it more secure against brute-force collision and inversion attacks.

  • UNIX Crypt--The UNIX encryption algorithm

  • No Encryption

    See Also: "Password Protection" for a conceptual discussion "Managing Password Protection" for instructions on setting password encryption

• Replication tools

  The following new replication tools are now added:

  • Human intervention queue manipulation tool

    This tool enables you to move changes from the human intervention queue to either the retry queue or the purge queue.

  • OID reconciliation tool

    This tool enables you to synchronize conflicting changes in a replicated environment.

    See Also: "Using the Replication Tools" for a brief explanation of this tool "Using the Human Intervention Queue Manipulation Tool" "Using the OID Reconciliation Tool"

• Replication node deletion

  This new feature enables you to delete a node from a directory replication group.

  See Also: "Deleting a Replication Node"

• Synchronization with multiple directories in a metadirectory environment (release 2.1.1 only)

  If you are working in a metadirectory environment, then this new feature enables you to form a single virtual directory by synchronizing multiple directories with Oracle Internet Directory.

  Note: This feature was replaced in release 3.0.1 by the Oracle Directory Integration platform. See Chapter 22, "About the Oracle Directory Integration Platform" for further information.

• Upgrade procedures (release 2.1.1 only)

  These new procedures enable you to upgrade from either Oracle Internet Directory release 2.0.4.x or release 2.0.6. Not supported in release 2.1.1.1 or in release 3.0.1.

  See Also: Appendix E, "Upgrading from Oracle Internet Directory Release 2.1.1"