Appendix A - OpenLDAP Avoiding Starting Again

The following notes may be useful when working with OpenLDAP they describe what you can and cannot do without ripping everything up and starting again.

What you can do

You can do any of the following things using an operational directory and without junking it and starting again - it is not necessary to get this stuff right at the beginning:

1. Add new entries - really! Using ldapadd with a running directory or slapadd with OpenLDAP (slapd) stopped.

2. You can add a new objectclasses of type AUXILLIARY to existing entries i.e. you can add posixaccount to an existing entry with, say, inetorgperson.

3. You can add a new objectclasses of type STRUCTURAL to existing entries IF and ONLY IF it has a SUP (parent) which is already contained in the entry e.g. you can add inetorgperson to an existing entry with, say, person but you cannot add account in the same circumstances because it has a SUP of top and would create a second STRUCTURAL object class hierarchy in the entry - which is now strictly verboten.

What you can't do

You CANNOT do any of the following things using an operational directory. If you get any of this stuff wrong it will hurt - maybe badly, maybe not:

Starting all over again

Darkness has descended on the world. You have a major structuring problem on your hands and you need to start again. First thing to do is panic! Then do some thinking.

1. Export the whole directory as a text LDIF file. Because LDIF files are pure text you can write some simple scripts to manipulate the entire directory.

2. Stop OpenLDAP (slapd). Go to the directory defined in your database of slapd.conf and delete everything in the directory.

3. Sart OpenLDAP (slapd). Use ldapadd to import your modified LDIF file back into the directory.

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