About This Reference Guide

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Red Hat Directory Server (Directory Server) is a powerful and scalable distributed directory server based on the industry-standard Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). 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.

This preface contains the following sections:

• Purpose of This Guide (page 11)
• Directory Server Overview (page 11)
• Contents of This Guide (page 12)
• Prerequisite Reading (page 12)
• Conventions Used in This Book (page 13)
• Related Information (page 13)

Purpose of This Guide

This Schema Reference guide describes the standard directory schema for Directory Server and lists all the object classes and attributes defined by the standard schema. The information provided here is intended for the administrator who manages and maintains the schema.

Directory Server Overview

The major components of Directory Server include:

• An LDAP server - The core of the directory service, provided by the ns-slapd daemon, and compliant with the LDAP v3 Internet standards.
• Directory Server Console - An improved management console that dramatically reduces the effort of setting up and maintaining your directory service. The directory console is part of Red Hat Console, the common management framework for LDAP directory services.
• SNMP Agent - Permits you to monitor your Directory Server in real time using the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).
• Online backup and restore - Allows you to create backups and restore from backups while the server is running.

Contents of This Guide

• 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 schema checking and extending server schema.
• 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 gives the list of required and allowed attributes specific to the particular object class. However, any mandatory and optional attributes inherited from superior object classes are not listed.
• Chapter 3, "Attribute Reference" - Contains an alphabetic list of the standard attributes. It gives a definition of each attribute and gives the attribute syntax.
• Chapter 4, "Operational Attributes, Special Attributes, and Special Object Classes" - Contains operational attributes used by Directory Server. The chapter also describes some special attributes and object classes that are used by the server.

Prerequisite Reading

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 Red Hat 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 Directory Server. The instructions for installing the various Directory Server components are contained in the Red Hat 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

This section explains the conventions used in this book.

• Monospaced font - This typeface is used for any text that appears on the computer screen or text that you should type. It is also used for filenames, functions, and examples.
• Throughout this book, you will see path references of the form:

serverRoot /slapd-serverID /...

serverRoot is the installation directory. The default installation directory is /opt/redhat-ds/servers. If you have installed Directory Server in a different location, you should adapt the path accordingly.

serverID is the ID or identifier you assigned to an instance of Directory Server when you installed it. For example, if you gave the server an identifier of phonebook, then the actual path would look like this: /opt/redhat-ds/servers/slapd-phonebook/. . .

• In examples/sample code, paths assume that the Directory Server is installed in the default location /opt/redhat-ds/servers. If you have installed your Directory Server in a different location, adapt the paths accordingly. Also, all examples use phonebook for the server identifier where appropriate.

Related Information

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

• Red Hat Directory Server Deployment Guide. Provides an overview for planning your deployment of the Directory Server. Includes deployment examples.
• Red Hat Directory Server Installation Guide. Procedures for installing your Directory Server as well as procedures for migrating your Directory Server.
• Red Hat Directory Server Administrator's Guide. Procedures for the day-to-day maintenance of your Directory Server. Includes information on configuring server-side plug-ins.
• Red Hat Directory Server Configuration, Command, and File Reference. Information about the command-line scripts, configuration attributes, and log files shipped with Directory Server.
• Red Hat Directory Server Plug-in Programmer's Guide. Describes how to write server plug-ins in order to customize and extend the capabilities of Directory Server.
• Red Hat Directory Server Gateway Customization Guide. Introduces Directory Server Gateway and explains how to implement a gateway instance with basic directory look-up functionality. Also contains information useful for implementing a more powerful gateway instance with directory authentication and administration capability.
• Red Hat Directory Server Org Chart. Introduces the Red Hat Directory Server Org Chart application and explains how to integrate it with an instance of Directory Server.
• Red Hat Directory Server DSML Gateway Guide. Introduces the Red Hat Directory Server DSML Gateway function and explains how to customize it for use as an independent gateway.

For a list of documentation installed with Directory Server, open the server_root /manual/en/slapd/index.htm file, where server_root is the directory in which you installed Directory Server.

For the latest information about Directory Server, including current release notes, complete product documentation, technical notes, and deployment information, check this site:

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/dir-server/