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Appendix B
Entries and Attributes

his appendix describes entry types and the required and optional attributes for each type of entry. Most of the attributes are optional, however, almost every entry type requires at least one complete attribute before the entry can be saved.

This appendix includes:

Schema Checking

Schema checking within the Directory Server assures that entries in the directory have the required fields to be uniquely identifiable. When schema checking is on, the default setting, the required attribute fields for an entry must be completed before the entry can be saved. If schema checking is off, the required fields do not need to be completed. In any case, optional attribute fields can be filled in at any time or left blank. If a required field is not filled in when schema checking is on, you will receive an object class violation error and the entry cannot be saved. Use the following entry descriptions to determine which attribute fields are required for each entry type.

Entry Type Definition

Entry types are used to describe the kinds of information that you can store with the entry. The properties are listed as attribute fields for the entry. Each entry has a defined set of required and optional attribute fields. These attribute fields store the information about each entry. When schema checking is on, entries must have their required attribute fields completed in order to save the new entry.

Attribute Definition

Attributes are used to store information about each entry. Each attribute has a format; that is, a set of possible values. For example, the telephoneNumber attribute expects input that contains only numbers and hyphens (-).

Entry Types

This table lists the entry types available in the Netscape Directory Server.
Entry types available within the Netscape Directory Server
Entry Type Required Attributes Optional Attributes
inetOrgPerson (defines entries for a person)
organizationalUnit (defines entries for organizational units)
organization (defines entries for organizations)

In many cases, an entry can have more than one type. Note that if the LDAP server uses schema checking, adding an entry without specifying values for the required fields will result in an object class violation error.

Attributes

The following defines the attributes used to describe an entry in the directory tree. Refer to Entry Types to determine which attributes are required and allowed for each entry.

Some attributes have a second, abbreviated internal ID. For example, the commonName and cn attributes are the same attribute. You can use either name in a search filter.

Each attribute field also has a corresponding format that describes the nature of the information held by that attribute. The possible formats are:

The following table lists the available attributes.
Attributes for entry types in the Netscape Directory Server
Attribute ID Format Description
businessCategory cis Identifies the type of business in which the entry is engaged. This should be a broad generalization such as is made at the corporate division level. For example:
   Engineering 
carLicense cis Identifies the entry's automobile license plate number. For example:
   6ABC246
departmentNumber cis Identifies the entry's department number. For example:
   Dept#: 2604
description cis Describes the entry. For people and organizations this often includes their role or work assignment. For example:
   Inspector for the ME2873 product line.
mail cis Identifies the entry's E-Mail address. For example:
   banderson@aceindustry.com
employeeNumber cis Identifies the entry's employee number. For example:
   15300
facsimileTelephoneNumber (fax) tel Identifies the fax number at which the entry can be reached. For example:
   415-555-1212
givenName cis Identifies the entry's given, or first, name. For example:
   Bill
commonName (cn) cis Identifies the entry's common name or full name. For example:
   Bill Anderson
surname (sn) cis Identifies the entry's surname or last name. For example:
   Anderson
localityName (l) cis Identifies the county, city, or other geographical area in which the entry is located or in some other way associated with. For example:
   Santa Clara
postalAddress cis Identifies the entry's mailing address. This field is intended to include multiple lines. For example:
   Mailing Address:       
   1234 Ridgeway Drive
   Santa Clara, CA 99555
manager dn Identifies the distinguished name of the person's manager. For example:
   cn=Jane Doe, ou=QA, o=Ace Industry, c=US
mobileTelephoneNumber (mobile) tel Identifies the entry's mobile or cellular phone number. For example:
   415-555-4321
organization Name (o) cis Identifies the name of the organization. For example:
   Ace Industries, Inc.
owner dn Identifies the distinguished name (dn) of the person that is responsible for the entry. For example:
   cn=John Smith, o=Netscape, c=US
pagerTelephoneNumber (pager) tel Identifies the entry's pager phone number. For example:
   415-555-6789
telephoneNumber tel Identifies the entry's phone number. For example:
   415-555-2233
roomNumber cis Identifies the entry's office number. For example:
   230
secretary dn Identifies the DN of the entry's secretary or administrative assistant. For example:
   cn=Howard Benson, o=Ace    Industry, c=US
seeAlso dn Identifies another Directory Server entry that may have related information to this entry. For example:
   cn=Quality Inspectors, o=Ace    Industry, c=US
title cis Identifies the entry's title. For example:
   Senior QC Inspector
organizationalUnitName (ou) cis Identifies the name of an organizational unit. For example:
   Marketing
labeledURI cis Specifies a Uniform Resource Location (URL) that is relevant in some way to the entry. Values placed in the attribute should consist of a URL optionally followed by one or more space characters and a label. For example:
   http://home.netscape.com [Netscape corporations's    home page]
userid (uid) cis Identifies the entry's userid (that is, their login ID). For example:
   banderson


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Last modified: March 31, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Netscape Communications Corporation