About this Reference Guide


iPlanet Directory Server 5.1 is a powerful and scalable distributed directory server based on the industry-standard Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). iPlanet Directory Server is the cornerstone for building a centralized and distributed data repository that can be used in your intranet, over your extranet with your trading partners, or over the public Internet to reach your customers.

For the latest information about new features and enhancements in this release of iPlanet Directory Server, please see the online release notes at:

http://docs.iplanet.com/docs/manuals/directory.html

Purpose of this Guide

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This Schema Reference Guide guide describes the standard schema for user directories provided with the iPlanet Directory Server. The schema defines the structure of the data stored in a directory. It determines the name and syntax of each attributes and which attributes are required or allowed in each object class.

This document lists all the object classes and attributes defined by the standard schema. It also lists the operational attributes in the server. The information provided here is intended for the administrator who manages and maintains the schema. For information about server specific schema, please refer to the iPlanet Directory Server Configuration, Command, and File Reference.

Contents of this Guide

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Chapter 1, "About Schema" provides an overview of some of the basic concepts of the directory schema, and lists the files in which the schema is described. It describes object classes, attributes and Object Identifiers (OIDs), and briefly discusses extending server schema and schema checking.

Chapter 2, "Object Class Reference" contains an alphabetical list of the object classes accepted by the default schema. It gives a definition of each object class, and lists its required and allowed attributes.

Chapter 3, "Attribute Reference" contains an alphabetic list of the standard attributes. It gives a definition of each attribute, and gives the attribute syntax and OID.

Chapter 4, "Operational Attributes, Special Attributes and Special Object Classes" contains an alphabetical list of the operational attributes used by the server, and of some special object classes and attributes used by the server. It gives a definition of each attribute, and gives the attribute syntax and OID. It also gives a definition of each object class, and gives the list of required and allowed attributes.

Prerequisite Reading

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This guide describes the standard schema and the standard object classes and attributes. However, this guide does not describe how to design, customize or maintain your schema, nor does it give any information on replication. Those concepts are described in the iPlanet Directory Server Deployment Guide. You should read that book before continuing with this manual.

When you are familiar with directory server schema concepts, and have done some preliminary planning for your directory service, you can install the iPlanet Directory Server. The instructions for installing the various Directory Server components are contained in the iPlanet Directory Server Installation Guide.

Preliminary planning includes deciding how to represent the data you store. You should chose predefined schema elements to meet as many of your needs as possible. These predefined schema elements are listed in this guide.

Conventions Used in This Book

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This section explains the typographic conventions used in this book.

Monospaced font - This typeface is used for literal text, such as the names of attributes and object classes when they appear in text. It is also used for filenames and examples.

Italic font - In this reference guide, this typeface is used for attribute names and their description when they are inherited by an object class. It is also used for text that you must substitute for actual values, such as placeholders in path names.

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Note	Notes, Cautions and Tips highlight important conditions or limitations. Be sure to read this information before continuing.

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This book uses the following format for paths and file names:

installDir/slapd-serverID/...

The actual path and server identifier will depend on your platform, your installation, and your configuration. The default path is platform-dependent:

Solaris 9 platform	/var/ds5/slapd-serverID/...
Other UNIX platforms	/usr/iplanet/servers/slapd-serverID/...
Windows platform	C:\iPlanet\Servers\slapd-serverID\...

Schema files are stored in the installDir/slapd-serverID/config/schema directory.

If you have installed the Directory Server in a different location, you should adapt the path accordingly. serverID represents the server identifier you gave the server when you installed it. For example, if you gave the name phonebook to your directory server, then the actual path would be:

Solaris 9 platform	/var/ds5/slapd-phonebook/...
Other UNIX platforms	/usr/iplanet/servers/slapd-phonebook/...
Windows platform	C:\iPlanet\Servers\slapd-phonebook\...

Most paths and commands specified in this manual are in UNIX format. If you are using a Windows-based version of Directory Server, use equivalent paths and commands. All commands on Windows platforms have the same name with the .exe or .bat extension.

Related Information

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The document set for iPlanet Directory Server also contains the following guides:

iPlanet Directory Server Installation Guide. Procedures for installing your Directory Server as well as procedures for migrating your Netscape Directory Server to iPlanet Directory Server.

iPlanet Directory Server Deployment Guide. Provides an overview for planning your deployment of the Directory Server. Includes deployment examples.

iPlanet Directory Server Configuration, Command, and File Reference. Provides reference information on the command-line scripts, configuration attributes, and log files shipped with Directory Server.

iPlanet Server Administrator's Guide. Procedures for managing directory contents and maintaining your directory server. Includes information on configuring server-side plug-ins.

Other useful information can be found on the following Web sites:

• iPlanet product documentation online:
  http://docs.iplanet.com/docs/manuals/

• iPlanet product status:
  http://www.iplanet.com/support/technical_resources/

• iPlanet Professional Services information:
  http://www.iplanet.com/services/professional_services_3_3.html

• Sun Enterprise Services for Solaris patches and support:
  http://www.sun.com/service/

• iPlanet developer information:
  http://developer.iplanet.com/

• iPlanet learning solutions:
  http://www.iplanet.com/learning/index.html

• iPlanet product data sheets:
  http://www.iplanet.com/products/index.html