Glossary

access control item (ACI)

An attribute that determines who has what type of access to what directory data. It contains a set of rules for structural access items, which pertain to entries, and content access items, which pertain to attributes. Access to both structural and content access items may be granted to one or more users or groups.

access control list (ACL)

The group of access directives that you define. The directives grant levels of access to specific data for specific clients, or groups of clients, or both.

access control policy point

An entry that contains security directives that apply downward to all entries at lower positions in the directory information tree (DIT).

administrative area

A subtree on a directory server whose entries are under the control (schema, ACL, and collective attributes) of a single administrative authority.

advanced symmetric replication (ASR)

See Oracle Database Advanced Replication

agent

An agent transforms data from one of the formats supported by Oracle Directory Integration Platform into a format supported by the connected directory.

anonymous authentication

The process by which the directory authenticates a user without requiring a user name and password combination. Each anonymous user then exercises the privileges specified for anonymous users.

application program interface (API)

Programs to access the services of a specified application. For example, LDAP-enabled clients access directory information through programmatic calls available in the LDAP API.

attribute

An item of information that describes some aspect of an entry. An entry comprises a set of attributes, each of which belongs to an object class. Moreover, each attribute has both a type, which describes the kind of information in the attribute, and a value, which contains the actual data.

attribute configuration file

In an Oracle Directory Integration Platform environment, a file that specifies attributes in a connected directory.

attribute type

The kind of information an attribute contains, for example, jobTitle.

attribute uniqueness

An Oracle Internet Directory feature that ensures that no two specified attributes have the same value. It enables applications synchronizing with the enterprise directory to use attributes as unique keys.

attribute value

The particular occurrence of information appearing in that entry. For example, the value for the jobTitle attribute could be manager.

authentication

The process of verifying the identity of a user, device, or other entity in a computer system, often as a prerequisite to allowing access to resources in a system.

authorization

Permission given to a user, program, or process to access an object or set of objects.

back-end directory

The repository in which Oracle components and third-party applications store and access user identities and credentials. In an Oracle Directory Integration Platform environment, either Oracle Internet Directory, Oracle Unified Directory, or Oracle Directory Server Enterprise Edition can be utilized as the Oracle back-end directory.

binding

The process of authenticating to a directory.

bootstrapping

The initial migration of data between a connected directory and the Oracle back-end directory. Performing directory bootstrapping when you first deploy Oracle Directory Integration Platform can save time if you need to move large amounts of directory data.

central directory

In an Oracle Directory Integration Platform environment, the directory that acts as the central repository.

certificate

An ITU x.509 v3 standard data structure that securely binds an identity to a public key. A certificate is created when an entity's public key is signed by a trusted identity: a certificate authority (CA). This certificate ensures that the entity's information is correct and that the public key actually belongs to that entity.

certificate authority (CA)

A trusted third party that certifies that other entities—users, databases, administrators, clients, servers—are who they say they are. The certificate authority verifies the user's identity and grants a certificate, signing it with the certificate authority's private key.

certificate chain

An ordered list of certificates containing an end-user or subscriber certificate and its certificate authority certificates.

change logs

A database that records changes made to a directory server.

cipher suite

In SSL, a set of authentication, encryption, and data integrity algorithms used for exchanging messages between network nodes. During an SSL handshake, the two nodes negotiate to see which cipher suite they will use when transmitting messages back and forth.

cluster

A collection of interconnected computers that are used as a single computing resource. Hardware clusters provide high availability and scalability.

cold backup

The procedure to add a new DSA node to an existing replicating system by using the database copy procedure.

concurrency

The ability to handle multiple requests simultaneously. Threads and processes are examples of concurrency mechanisms.

concurrent clients

The total number of clients that have established a session with the Oracle back-end directory.

concurrent operations

The number of operations that are being run on the directory from all of the concurrent clients. Note that this is not necessarily the same as the concurrent clients, because some of the clients may be keeping their sessions idle.

connect descriptor

A specially formatted description of the destination for a network connection. A connect descriptor contains destination service and network route information.

The destination service is indicated by using its service name for the Oracle Database or its Oracle System Identifier (SID) for Oracle release 8.0 or version 7 databases. The network route provides, at a minimum, the location of the listener through use of a network address.

connected directory

In an Oracle Directory Integration Platform environment, an information repository requiring full synchronization of data between the Oracle back-end directory and itself—for example, an Oracle human Resources database.

connector

A connectivity solution that Oracle Directory Integration Platform uses for synchronization between the Oracle back-end directory and a connected directory. At a minimum, a connector consists of a directory integration profile containing all the configuration information required for synchronization.

consumer

A directory server that is the destination of replication updates. Sometimes called a slave.

contention

Competition for resources.

context prefix

The DN of the root of a naming context.

cryptography

The practice of encoding and decoding data, resulting in secure messages.

Data Encryption Standard (DES)

A block cipher developed by IBM and the U.S. government in the 1970's as an official standard.

data integrity

The guarantee that the contents of the message received were not altered from the contents of the original message sent.

decryption

The process of converting the contents of an encrypted message (cipher text) back into its original readable format (plain text).

default knowledge reference

A knowledge reference that is returned when the base object is not in the directory, and the operation is performed in a naming context not held locally by the server. A default knowledge reference typically sends the user to a server that has more knowledge about the directory partitioning arrangement.

default identity management realm

In a hosted environment, one enterprise—for example, an application service provider—makes Oracle components available to multiple enterprises and stores information for them. In such hosted environments, the enterprise performing the hosting is called the default identity management realm, and the enterprises that are hosted are each associated with their own identity management realm in the DIT.

default realm location

An attribute in the root Oracle Context that identifies the root of the default identity management realm.

delegated administrator

In a hosted environment, one enterprise—for example, an application service provider—makes Oracle components available to multiple other enterprises and stores information for them. In such an environment, a global administrator performs activities that span the entire directory. Other administrators—called delegated administrators—may exercise roles in specific identity management realms, or for specific applications.

directory information base (DIB)

The complete set of all information held in the directory. The DIB consists of entries that are related to each other hierarchically in a directory information tree (DIT).

directory information tree (DIT)

A hierarchical, tree-like structure consisting of the DNs of the entries.

directory integration profile

In an Oracle Directory Integration Platform environment, an entry in the Oracle back-end directory that describes how Oracle Directory Integration Platform communicates with external systems and what is communicated.

directory integration server

In an Oracle Directory Integration Platform environment, the server that drives the synchronization of data between the Oracle back-end directory and a connected directory.

directory naming context

See naming context.

directory provisioning profile

A special kind of directory integration profile that describes the nature of provisioning-related notifications that Oracle Directory Integration Platform sends to the directory-enabled applications.

directory replication group (DRG)

The directory servers participating in a replication agreement.

directory server instance

A discrete invocation of a directory server. Different invocations of a directory server, each started with the same or different configuration set entries and startup flags, are said to be different directory server instances.

directory-specific entry (DSE)

An entry specific to a directory server. Different directory servers may hold the same DIT name, but have different contents—that is, the contents can be specific to the directory holding it. A DSE is an entry with contents specific to the directory server holding it.

directory synchronization profile

A special kind of directory integration profile that describes how synchronization is carried out between the Oracle back-end directory and an external system.

directory system agent (DSA)

The X.500 term for a directory server.

distinguished name (DN)

The unique name of a directory entry. It comprises all of the individual names of the parent entries back to the root.

DSE

See directory-specific entry (DSE).

DSA-specific entries. Different DSAs may hold the same DIT name, but have different contents. That is, the contents can be specific to the DSA holding it. A DSE is an entry with contents specific to the DSA holding it.

encryption

The process of disguising the contents of a message and rendering it unreadable (ciphertext) to anyone except for the intended recipient.

entry

The building block of a directory, it contains information about an object of interest to directory users.

export agent

In an Oracle Directory Integration Platform environment, an agent that exports data out of the Oracle back-end directory.

export data file

In an Oracle Directory Integration Platform environment, the file that contains data exported by an export agent.

export file

See export data file.

external agent

A directory integration agent that is independent of Oracle Directory Integration Platform. Oracle Directory Integration Platform does not provide scheduling, mapping, or error handling services for it. An external agent is typically used when a third party metadirectory solution is integrated with the Oracle Directory Integration Platform.

failover

The process of failure recognition and recovery. In an Oracle Application Server Cold Failover Cluster (Infrastructure), an application running on one cluster node is transparently migrated to another cluster node. During this migration, clients accessing the service on the cluster see a momentary outage and may need to reconnect once the failover is complete.

fan-out replication

Also called a point-to-point replication. A type of replication in which a supplier replicates directly to a consumer. That consumer can then replicate to one or more other consumers. The replication can be either full or partial.

filter

A method of qualifying data, usually data that you are seeking. Filters are always expressed as DNs, for example: cn=susie smith,o=acme,c=us.

global administrator

In a hosted environment, one enterprise—for example, an application service provider—makes Oracle components available to multiple other enterprises and stores information for them. In such an environment, a global administrator performs activities that span the entire directory.

global unique identifier (GUID)

An identifier generated by the system and inserted into an entry when the entry is added to the directory. In a multimaster replicated environment, the GUID, not the DN, uniquely identifies an entry. The GUID of an entry cannot be modified by a user.

grace login

A login occurring within the specified period before password expiration.

group search base

In the Oracle back-end directory default DIT, the node in the identity management realm under which all the groups can be found.

guest user

One who is not an anonymous user, and, at the same time, does not have a specific user entry.

handshake

A protocol two computers use to initiate a communication session.

hash

A number generated from a string of text with an algorithm. The hash value is substantially smaller than the text itself. Hash numbers are used for security and for faster access to data.

identity management

The process by which the complete security life cycle for network entities is managed in an organization. It typically refers to the management of an organization's application users, where steps in the security life cycle include account creation, suspension, privilege modification, and account deletion. The network entities managed can also include devices, processes, applications, or anything else that needs to interact in a networked environment. Entities managed by an identity management process can also include users outside of the organization, for example customers, trading partners, or Web services.

identity management realm

A collection of identities, all of which are governed by the same administrative policies. In an enterprise, all employees having access to the intranet may belong to one realm, while all external users who access the public applications of the enterprise may belong to another realm. An identity management realm is represented in the directory by a specific entry with a special object class associated with it.

identity management realm-specific Oracle Context

An Oracle Context contained in each identity management realm. It stores the following information:

  • User naming policy of the identity management realm—that is, how users are named and located

  • Mandatory authentication attributes

  • Location of groups in the identity management realm

  • Privilege assignments for the identity management realm—for example: who has privileges to add more users to the Realm.

  • Application specific data for that Realm including authorizations

import agent

In an Oracle Directory Integration Platform environment, an agent that imports data into the Oracle back-end directory.

import data file

In an Oracle Directory Integration Platform environment, the file containing the data imported by an import agent.

inherit

When an object class has been derived from another class, it also derives, or inherits, many of the characteristics of that other class. Similarly, an attribute subtype inherits the characteristics of its supertype.

integrity

The guarantee that the contents of the message received were not altered from the contents of the original message sent.

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)

The principal body engaged in the development of new Internet standard specifications. It is an international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers concerned with the evolution of the Internet architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet.

Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)

A protocol allowing a client to access and manipulate electronic mail messages on a server. It permits manipulation of remote message folders, also called mailboxes, in a way that is functionally equivalent to local mailboxes.

key

A string of bits used widely in cryptography, allowing people to encrypt and decrypt data; a key can be used to perform other mathematical operations as well. Given a cipher, a key determines the mapping of the plaintext to the ciphertext.

key pair

A public key and its associated private key.

See public/private key pair.

knowledge reference

The access information (name and address) for a remote DSA and the name of the DIT subtree that the remote DSA holds. Knowledge references are also called referrals.

latency

The time a client has to wait for a given directory operation to complete. Latency can be defined as wasted time. In networking discussions, latency is defined as the travel time of a packet from source to destination.

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)

A standard, extensible directory access protocol. It is a common language that LDAP clients and servers use to communicate. The framework of design conventions supporting industry-standard directory products, such as the Oracle Internet Directory.

LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF)

The set of standards for formatting an input file for any of the LDAP command-line utilities.

logical host

In an Oracle Application Server Cold Failover Cluster (Infrastructure), one or more disk groups and pairs of host names and IP addresses. It is mapped to a physical host in the cluster. This physical host impersonates the host name and IP address of the logical host

man-in-the-middle

A security attack characterized by the third-party, surreptitious interception of a message. The third-party, the man-in-the-middle, decrypts the message, re-encrypts it (with or without alteration of the original message), and retransmits it to the originally-intended recipient—all without the knowledge of the legitimate sender and receiver. This type of security attack works only in the absence of authentication.

mapping rules file

In an Oracle Directory Integration Platform environment, the file that specifies mappings between the Oracle back-end directory attributes and those in a connected directory.

master definition site (MDS)

In replication, a master definition site is the Oracle Internet Directory database from which the administrator runs the configuration scripts.

master site

In replication, a master site is any site other than the master definition site that participates in LDAP replication.

matching rule

In a search or compare operation, determines equality between the attribute value sought and the attribute value stored. For example, matching rules associated with the telephoneNumber attribute could cause "(650) 123-4567" to be matched with either "(650) 123-4567" or "6501234567" or both. When you create an attribute, you associate a matching rule with it.

MD4

A one-way hash function that produces a 128-bit hash, or message digest. If as little as a single bit value in the file is modified, the MD4 checksum for the file will change. Forgery of a file in a way that will cause MD4 to generate the same result as that for the original file is considered extremely difficult.

MD5

An improved version of MD4.

metadirectory

A directory solution that shares information between all enterprise directories, integrating them into one virtual directory. It centralizes administration, thereby reducing administrative costs. It synchronizes data among directories, thereby ensuring that it is consistent and up-to-date across the enterprise.

MTS

See shared server

multimaster replication

Also called peer-to-peer or n-way replication, a type of replication that enables multiple sites, acting as equals, to manage groups of replicated data. In a multimaster replication environment, each node is both a supplier and a consumer node, and the entire directory is replicated on each node.

naming attribute

The attribute used to compose the RDN of a new user entry created through Oracle Delegated Administration Services or Oracle Internet Directory Java APIs. The default value for this is cn.

naming context

A subtree that resides entirely on one server. It must be contiguous, that is, it must begin at an entry that serves as the top of the subtree, and extend downward to either leaf entries or knowledge references (also called referrals) to subordinate naming contexts. It can range in size from a single entry to the entire DIT.

native agent

In an Oracle Directory Integration Platform environment, an agent that runs under the control of the directory integration server. It is in contrast to an external agent.

net service name

A simple name for a service that resolves to a connect descriptor. Users initiate a connect request by passing a user name and password along with a net service name in a connect string for the service to which they wish to connect:

CONNECT username/password@net_service_name

Depending on your needs, net service names can be stored in a variety of places, including:

  • Local configuration file, tnsnames.ora, on each client

  • Directory server

  • Oracle Names server

  • External naming service, such as NDS, NIS or CDS

nickname attribute

The attribute used to uniquely identify a user in the entire directory. The default value for this is uid. Applications use this to resolve a simple user name to the complete distinguished name. The user nickname attribute cannot have multiple values—that is, a given user cannot have multiple nicknames stored under the same attribute name.

object class

A named group of attributes. When you want to assign attributes to an entry, you do so by assigning to that entry the object classes that hold those attributes.

All objects associated with the same object class share the same attributes.

OID Control Utility

A command-line tool for issuing run-server and stop-server commands. The commands are interpreted and executed by the OID Monitor process.

OID Database Password Utility

The utility used to change the password with which Oracle Internet Directory connects to an Oracle database.

OID Monitor

The Oracle Internet Directory component that initiates, monitors, and terminates the Oracle directory server processes. It also controls the replication server if one is installed, and Oracle Directory Integration Platform.

one-way function

A function that is easy to compute in one direction but quite difficult to reverse compute, that is, to compute in the opposite direction.

one-way hash function

A one-way function that takes a variable sized input and creates a fixed size output.

Oracle Call Interface (OCI)

An application programming interface (API) that enables you to create applications that use the native procedures or function calls of a third-generation language to access an Oracle database server and control all phases of SQL statement execution.

Oracle Delegated Administration Services

A set of individual, predefined services—called Oracle Delegated Administration Services units—for performing directory operations on behalf of a user. Oracle Internet Directory Self-Service Console makes it easier to develop and deploy administration solutions for both Oracle and third-party applications that use Oracle Internet Directory.

Oracle Directory Integration Platform

A component of Oracle Internet Directory. It is a framework developed to integrate applications around a central LDAP directory like Oracle Internet Directory.

Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control

A separate Oracle product that combines a graphical console, agents, common services, and tools to provide an integrated and comprehensive systems management platform for managing Oracle products.

Oracle Identity Management

An infrastructure enabling deployments to manage centrally and securely all enterprise identities and their access to various applications in the enterprise.

Oracle Internet Directory

A general purpose directory service that enables retrieval of information about dispersed users and network resources. It combines Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Version 3 with the high performance, scalability, robustness, and availability of Oracle Database.

Oracle Net Services

The foundation of the Oracle family of networking products, allowing services and their client applications to reside on different computers and communicate. The main function of Oracle Net Services is to establish network sessions and transfer data between a client application and a server. Oracle Net Services is located on each computer in the network. Once a network session is established, Oracle Net Services acts as a data courier for the client and the server.

Oracle PKI certificate usages

Defines Oracle application types that a certificate supports.

Oracle Wallet Manager

A Java-based application that security administrators use to manage public-key security credentials on clients and servers.

Oracle Database Advanced Replication

A feature in the Oracle Database that enables database tables to be kept synchronized across two Oracle databases.

other information repository

In an Oracle Directory Integration Platform environment, in which Oracle Internet Directory serves as the central directory, any information repository except Oracle Internet Directory.

partition

A unique, nonoverlapping directory naming context that is stored on one directory server.

peer-to-peer replication

Also called multimaster replication or n-way replication. A type of replication that enables multiple sites, acting as equals, to manage groups of replicated data. In such a replication environment, each node is both a supplier and a consumer node, and the entire directory is replicated on each node.

PKCS #12

A public-key encryption standard (PKCS). RSA Data Security, Inc. PKCS #12 is an industry standard for storing and transferring personal authentication credentials—typically in a format called a wallet.

plaintext

Message text that has not been encrypted.

point-to-point replication

Also called fan-out replication. A type of replication in which a supplier replicates directly to a consumer. That consumer can then replicate to one or more other consumers. The replication can be either full or partial.

primary node

In an Oracle Application Server Cold Failover Cluster (Infrastructure), the cluster node on which the application runs at any given time.

private key

In public-key cryptography, this key is the secret key. It is primarily used for decryption, and it is also used for encryption with digital signatures.

provisioning agent

An application or process that translates Oracle-specific provisioning events to external or third-party application-specific events.

provisioned applications

Applications in an environment where user and group information is centralized in Oracle Internet Directory or Oracle Unified Directory. These applications are typically interested in changes to that information in Oracle Internet Directory or Oracle Unified Directory.

proxy user

A kind of user typically employed in an environment with a middle tier, such as a firewall. In this environment, the end user authenticates to the middle tier. The middle tier then logs into the directory on the end user's behalf. A proxy user has the privilege to switch identities and, once it has logged in to the directory, switches to the end user's identity. It then performs operations on the end user's behalf, using the authorization appropriate to that particular end user.

public key

In public-key cryptography, this key is made public to all; it is primarily used for encryption, but it can be used for verifying signatures.

public-key cryptography

Cryptography based on methods involving a public key and a private key.

public-key encryption

The process in which the sender of a message encrypts the message with the public key of the recipient. Upon delivery, the message is decrypted by the recipient using the recipient's private key.

public/private key pair

A mathematically related set of two numbers where one is called the private key and the other is called the public key. Public keys are typically made widely available, while private keys are available only to their owners. Data encrypted with a public key can only be decrypted with its associated private key and vice versa. Data encrypted with a public key cannot be decrypted with the same public key.

realm search base

An attribute in the root Oracle Context that identifies the entry in the DIT that contains all identity management realms. This attribute is used when mapping a simple realm name to the corresponding entry in the directory.

referral

Information that a directory server provides to a client and which points to other servers the client must contact to find the information it is requesting.

See also knowledge reference.

relational database

A structured collection of data that stores data in tables consisting of one or more rows, each containing the same set of columns. Oracle makes it very easy to link the data in multiple tables. This is what makes Oracle a relational database management system, or RDBMS. It stores data in two or more tables, and enables you to define relationships among the tables. The link is based on one or more fields common to both tables.

replica

Each copy of a naming context that is contained within a single server.

registry entry

An entry containing runtime information associated with invocations of Oracle directory servers, called a directory server instance. Registry entries are stored in the directory itself, and remain there until the corresponding directory server instance stops.

relative distinguished name (RDN)

The local, most granular-level entry name. It has no other qualifying entry names that would serve to uniquely address the entry. In the example, cn=Smith,o=acme,c=US, the RDN is cn=Smith.

remote master site (RMS)

In a replicated environment, any site, other than the master definition site (MDS), that participates in Oracle Database Advanced Replication.

replication agreement

A special directory entry that represents the replication relationship among the directory servers in a directory replication group (DRG).

response time

The time between the submission of a request and the completion of the response.

root directory specific entry

An entry storing operational information about the directory. The information is stored in a number of attributes.

Root Oracle Context

In the Oracle Identity Management infrastructure, the Root Oracle Context is an entry in Oracle Internet Directory containing a pointer to the default identity management realm in the infrastructure. It also contains information on how to locate an identity management realm given a simple name of the realm.

scalability

The ability of a system to provide throughput in proportion to, and limited only by, available hardware resources.

schema

The collection of attributes, object classes, and their corresponding matching rules.

secondary node

In an Oracle Application Server Cold Failover Cluster (Infrastructure), the cluster node to which an application is moved during a failover.

Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA)

An algorithm that takes a message of less than 264 bits in length and produces a 160-bit message digest. The algorithm is slightly slower than MD5, but the larger message digest makes it more secure against brute-force collision and inversion attacks.

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

An industry standard protocol designed by Netscape Communications Corporation for securing network connections. SSL provides authentication, encryption, and data integrity using public key infrastructure (PKI).

service time

The time between the initiation of a request and the completion of the response to the request.

session key

A key for symmetric-key cryptosystems that is used for the duration of one message or communication session.

shared server

A server that is configured to allow many user processes to share very few server processes, so the number of users that can be supported is increased. With shared server configuration, many user processes connect to a dispatcher. The dispatcher directs multiple incoming network session requests to a common queue. An idle shared server process from a shared pool of server processes picks up a request from the queue. This means a small pool of server processes can server a large amount of clients. Contrast with dedicated server.

sibling

An entry that has the same parent as one or more other entries.

simple authentication

The process by which the client identifies itself to the server by means of a DN and a password which are not encrypted when sent over the network. In the simple authentication option, the server verifies that the DN and password sent by the client match the DN and password stored in the directory.

Simple Authentication and Security Layer (SASL)

A method for adding authentication support to connection-based protocols. To use this specification, a protocol includes a command for identifying and authenticating a user to a server and for optionally negotiating a security layer for subsequent protocol interactions. The command has a required argument identifying a SASL mechanism.

single key-pair wallet

A PKCS #12-format wallet that contains a single user certificate and its associated private key. The public key is imbedded in the certificate.

slave

See consumer.

SLAPD

Standalone LDAP daemon.

smart knowledge reference

A knowledge reference that is returned when the knowledge reference entry is in the scope of the search. It points the user to the server that stores the requested information.

specific administrative area

Administrative areas control:

  • Subschema administration

  • Access control administration

  • Collective attribute administration

A specific administrative area controls one of these aspects of administration. A specific administrative area is part of an autonomous administrative area.

sponsor node

In replication, the node that is used to provide initial data to a new node.

subACLSubentry

A specific type of subentry that contains ACL information.

subclass

An object class derived from another object class. The object class from which it is derived is called its superclass.

subentry

A type of entry containing information applicable to a group of entries in a subtree. The information can be of these types:

  • Access control policy points

  • Schema rules

  • Collective attributes

Subentries are located immediately below the root of an administrative area.

subordinate reference

A knowledge reference pointing downward in the DIT to a naming context that starts immediately below an entry.

subschema DN

The list of DIT areas having independent schema definitions.

subSchemaSubentry

A specific type of subentry containing schema information.

subtype

An attribute with one or more options, in contrast to that same attribute without the options. For example, a commonName (cn) attribute with American English as an option is a subtype of the commonName (cn) attribute without that option. Conversely, the commonName (cn) attribute without an option is the supertype of the same attribute with an option.

super user

A special directory administrator who typically has full access to directory information.

superclass

The object class from which another object class is derived. For example, the object class person is the superclass of the object class organizationalPerson. The latter, namely, organizationalPerson, is a subclass of person and inherits the attributes contained in person.

superior reference

A knowledge reference pointing upward to a DSA that holds a naming context higher in the DIT than all the naming contexts held by the referencing DSA.

supertype

An attribute without options, in contrast to the same attribute with one or more options. For example, the commonName (cn) attribute without an option is the supertype of the same attribute with an option. Conversely, a commonName (cn) attribute with American English as an option is a subtype of the commonName (cn) attribute without that option.

supplier

In replication, the server that holds the master copy of the naming context. It supplies updates from the master copy to the consumer server.

System Global Area (SGA)

A group of shared memory structures that contains data and control information for one Oracle Database instance. If multiple users are concurrently connected to the same instance, the data in the instance SGA is shared among the users. Consequently, the SGA is sometimes referred to as the shared global area. The combination of the background processes and memory buffers is called an Oracle instance.

system operational attribute

An attribute holding information that pertains to the operation of the directory itself. Some operational information is specified by the directory to control the server, for example, the timestamp for an entry. Other operational information, such as access information, is defined by administrators and is used by the directory program in its processing.

think time

The time the user is not engaged in actual use of the processor.

throughput

The number of requests processed by the Oracle back-end directory for each unit of time. This is typically represented as operations per second.

Transport Layer Security (TLS)

A protocol providing communications privacy over the Internet. The protocol enables client/server applications to communicate in a way that prevents eavesdropping, tampering, or message forgery.

trusted certificate

A third-party identity that is qualified with a level of trust. The trust is used when an identity is being validated as the entity it claims to be. Typically, the certificate authorities you trust issue user certificates.

trustpoint

See trusted certificate.

UTF-16

The 16-bit encoding of Unicode.The Latin-1 characters are the first 256 code points in this standard.

Unicode

A type of universal character set, a collection of 64K characters encoded in a 16-bit space. It encodes nearly every character in most existing character set standard, covering most written scripts used in the world. It is owned and defined by Unicode Inc. Unicode is canonical encoding which means its value can be passed to different locales. It does not guarantee a round-trip conversion between it and every Oracle character set without information loss.

UNIX Crypt

The UNIX encryption algorithm.

user search base

In the Oracle Internet Directory default DIT, the node in the identity management realm under which all the users are placed.

UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)

The standard time common to every place in the world. Formerly, and widely called Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and World Time, UTC nominally reflects the mean solar time along the Earth's prime meridian. UTC is indicated by a z at the end of the value, for example, 200011281010z.

UTF-8

A variable-width, 8-bit encoding of Unicode that uses sequences of 1, 2, 3, or 4 bytes for each character. Characters from 0-127 (the 7-bit ASCII characters) are encoded with one byte, characters from 128-2047 require two bytes, characters from 2048-65535 require three bytes, and characters beyond 65535 require four bytes. The Oracle character set name for this is AL32UTF8 (for the Unicode 3.1 standard).

virtual host name

In an Oracle Application Server Cold Failover Cluster (Infrastructure), the host name corresponding to this virtual IP address.

virtual IP address

In an Oracle Application Server Cold Failover Cluster (Infrastructure), each physical node has its own physical IP address and physical host name. To present a single system image to the outside world, the cluster uses a dynamic IP address that can be moved to any physical node in the cluster. This is called the virtual IP address.

wallet

An abstraction used to store and manage security credentials for an individual entity. It implements the storage and retrieval of credentials for use with various cryptographic services. A wallet resource locator (WRL) provides all the necessary information to locate the wallet.

wait time

The time between the submission of the request and initiation of the response.

X.509

A popular format from ISO used to sign public keys.