RFC 2849 / START HERE
LDIF directory files, before the details
LDIF means LDAP Data Interchange Format. LDAP means Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, which works with named directory entries and their attributes.
LDIF is a text file format for directory entry data or for instructions to add, delete, modify or rename entries. A distinguished name (DN) identifies each entry.
Why it exists
It gives import and export tools a shared format independent of a directory server’s internal database. Entry content and change instructions are separate file forms; reading a change does not mean it was accepted.
A familiar example
A fictional picnic directory can list Mina’s name, then a separate change file can rename that entry or replace an attribute. Folded lines and base64 preserve values; they do not prove that a file is safe, trusted or authorized.
Helpful background
You can start here without reading another RFC. If these ideas are unfamiliar, these short introductions may help.
What you’ll learn next
Begin with chapter one, or choose a topic.
- Separate entries from change instructionsLDIF 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.→
- Unfold lines before reading valuesA physical line can continue onto the next line. Folding changes the file layout while preserving the logical line and its value.→
- Choose literal, base64 or referenced valuesThe punctuation after an attribute name selects how its value is represented. Base64 is a reversible encoding of bytes; it does not encrypt them.→
- Apply modifications to attribute valueschangetype: modify identifies an existing entry. Within that record, add:, delete: and replace: introduce attribute modifications, each terminated by a line containing only a hyphen.→
- Rename an entry and choose its parentA relative distinguished name, or RDN, is the entry’s name within its parent. modrdn and moddn are two changetype spellings for the Modify DN operation.→
- Respect critical controls and input boundariesA control is an option attached to an LDAP operation. Its dotted numeric identifier is an object identifier, or OID; criticality decides whether the option may be omitted.→
This introduction explains RFC 2849 (2000). Read the original RFC ↗