Specifies whether subscription groups created through the console are static or dynamic. The console will either create and display subscription groups that are static or dynamic, not both. (Filtered groups are always supported regardless of the value given to this attribute.) The default value is dynamic.
A static group explicitly lists each group member using the groupOfNames or groupOfUniqueNames object class. The group entry contains the uniqueMember attribute for each member of the group. Members of static groups are manually added; the user entry itself remains unchanged. Static groups are suitable for groups with few members.
A dynamic group uses a memberOf attribute in the entry of each group member. Members of dynamic groups are generated through the use of an LDAP filter which searches and returns all entries which contain the memberOf attribute. Dynamic groups are suitable for groups that have a very large membership.
A filtered group uses an LDAP filter to search and return members that meet the requirement of the filter. For instance, the filter can generate members with a specific uid (uid=g*) or email address (mail=*@example.com).
In the examples above, the LDAP filter would return all users whose uid begins with g or whose email address ends with example.com, respectively. Filtered groups can only be created within the User Management view by choosing Membership by Filter.
An administrator can select one of the following:
Dynamic - Groups created through the Membership By Subscription option will be dynamic.
Static - Groups created through the Membership By Subscription option will be static.