Overview#

A Directory Server backend provides a repository for storing data and a set of logic for interacting with that data. A backend will typically contain some kind of database and may maintain a set of LDAP Indexes that allows the backend to quickly locate entries for various operations. All backends will have the following qualities:

• A backend ID, which uniquely identifies that backend among all other backends in the server.
• A set of one or more base DNs that indicate the data that the backend holds.
• A writability mode, which indicates whether the backend will accept write operations.

The logic provided by the backend includes:

• A method for determining whether a given entry exists, based on its DN
• A method for retrieving an entry, based on its DN
• A method of adding a new entry to the database (as part of processing an Add Request).
• A method for removing an existing entry from the database (as part of processing an Delete Request
• A method for replacing an entry in the database (as part of processing an Modify Request Delete Modification-type).
• A method for renaming an entry in the database (as part of processing an ModifyDNRequest).
• A method for processing an SearchRequest.
• A method for exporting the contents of the database in LDAP Data Interchange Format form.
• A method for importing data in LDAP Data Interchange Format form into the database.
• A method for performing a backup of the data.
• A method for performing a restore of a previous backup.

More Information#

There might be more information for this subject on one of the following:

• Access Proxy
• Berkeley DB Java Edition
• DefinitionEntryID
• Glossary Of LDAP And Directory Terminology
• Imonitor
• LDIF Export
• LDIF Import
• Monitor Entry
• Virtual Attribute