Netscape NETSCAPE DIRECTORY SERVER 6.1 - ADMINISTRATOR, Administrator'S Manual

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Chapter 9
Extending the Directory Schema
Netscape Directory Server (Directory Server) comes with a standard schema that
includes hundreds of object classes and attributes. While the standard object
classes and attributes should meet most of your requirements, you may need to
extend your schema by creating new object classes and attributes.
This chapter describes how to extend your schema in the following sections:
• Overview of Extending Schema (page 337)
• Turning Schema Checking On and Off (page 338)
• Managing Object Classes (page 341)
• Managing Attributes (page 345)
Overview of Extending Schema
When you add new attributes to your schema, you must create a new object class to
contain them. Although it may seem convenient to just add the attributes you need
to an existing object class that already contains most of the attributes you require,
doing so compromises interoperability with LDAP clients.
Interoperability of Directory Server with existing LDAP clients relies on the
standard LDAP schema. If you change the standard schema, you will also have
difficulties when upgrading your server. For the same reasons, you cannot delete
standard schema elements.
For more information on object classes, attributes, and the directory schema as well
as guidelines for extending your schema, refer to Netscape Directory Server
Deployment Guide. For information on standard attributes and object classes, see
the Netscape Directory Server Schema Reference.