Separate entries from change instructions
01LDIF means LDAP Data Interchange Format. LDAP is the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol; a directory stores named entries with attributes such as cn (common name). A distinguished name, or DN, identifies an entry.
A separate changetype: delete record requests removal of the named leaf entry. It is not delete: cn inside a modify record. A parsed change is only a request; the directory returns success or failure.
Source for this drawing: RFC 2849 · Read RFC source: Definition and formal syntax ↗
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A message needs an address.
Think of a packet as a small addressed envelope. Devices pass it onward; transport protocols decide what delivery promises an application gets.
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Related RFCs and changes
“Updates” changes part of an earlier RFC. “Obsoletes” replaces it. This list shows selected related documents.
An LDIF file carries entry content or change records, never both kinds together. version: 1 identifies this format; without a version, an implementation MAY choose an older format.
- An LDIF file carries entry content or change records, never both kinds together. version: 1 identifies this format; without a version, an implementation MAY choose an older format.
- A record begins with dn:. A blank line separates records. Repeated attribute lines provide multiple values, not new entries.
- Change records map to add, delete, modify and Modify DN operations. A change file describes requests, not proof that they were accepted. An ordinary delete targets a leaf entry.
Fictional directory data. Fragments illustrate the format; no file, URL or directory is accessed. Import outcomes still depend on schema, permissions and server support.
Read the RFC section ↗