Remote access to Enterprise Directory schema

[Jeremy Begg]

Hi,

We've been playing with Enterprise Directory V5.6 on OpenVMS Alpha V8.3. Our directory has a couple of entries in a very simple structure, using the default schema files which come with the product.

We then tried a variety of open source, freeware & 3rd-party Windows-based LDAP management tools to see if we could find one to suit our needs.

Most of them complained that they couldn't determine the LDAP schema information. I'm told there appeared to be references to 'cn=Schema' in some of the LDAP queries but no such CN exists in the directory (and we're not sure what it would look like anyway).

So ... does Enterprise Directory support remote access to the schema via LDAP?

Has anyone found a useful general-purpose LDAP management client for managing directory entries?

Thanks,
Jeremy Begg

[Jean-François Piéronne]

Hi Jeremy,

I have include, in the Python for OpenVMS distribution a LDAP client module which was succesfully used by Victoriano, may be you can take a look.

JPP has also a port of some version of OpenLDAP. I have used it to build the Python module.

More information on the module:
http://python-ldap.sourceforge.net/

JF

[Jeremy Begg]

Hi Jean-François,

Thanks for the reference, we're investigating the Python options. We've managed to produce a simple LDAP query tool using it already.

In case anyone else is reading, here is typical error text from attempting to use an LDAP-based management tool on Enterprise Directory:

"The Schema Naming Context was not found"

and

"Unable to Load Schema Objects. Object reference not set to an instance of an object."

Looking at a TCP/IP trace of the LDAP query (because I haven't worked out how to get ED to display the queries in a log file) it would seem that when the LDAP management tool queries ED for a set of management-related attributes it gets a very brief response. I can't say what the response means, although I can guess it means "Huh?"

Thanks,
Jeremy Begg

[JohnDite]

Hi Jeremy,

surely your problem is that you have an incompatible schema.

Assuming you have the schema in its source form, then it shouldn't be a big thing to compile this with the DXD$SCHEMA_COMPILER.EXE

Don't forget to reference your schema file in
DXD$DIRECTORY:DXD$SCHEMA.SC before compiling.

Unfortunately the Enterprise Directory does not yet support the LDIF format.

John

[Jeremy Begg]

Hi John,

We haven't made any changes to the schema which comes with ED, and our sample entries are straightforward inetOrgPerson entries.

It seems to me that the ED server is missing something, either a linkage between the LDAP convention for obtaining schema data, or the code to implement it.

Thanks,
Jeremy Begg

[JohnDite]

Hi Jeremy,

if the sample entries are straightforward inetOrgPerson entries then I think its time for an elevation to ED Engineering. I have just mailed you an ED internal tracing guide so that you can collect the info that ED engineering will most probably ask for.

John

[Jeremy Begg]

Hi John,

Thanks for the email, it's given me a few things to look at. I think I'll take your advice and log a support call.

Regards,
Jeremy Begg