About This Reference; Directory Server Overview; Examples And Formatting - Red Hat DIRECTORY SERVER 8.0 Command Reference Manual

About This Reference

Red Hat Directory Server (Directory Server) is a powerful and scalable distributed directory server
based on the industry-standard Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). Directory Server is the
cornerstone for building a centralized and distributed data repository that can be used in an intranet,
over an extranet with trading partners, or over the public Internet to reach customers.
This reference covers the server configuration and the command-line utilities. It is designed primarily
for directory administrators and experienced directory users who want to use the command-line to
access the directory. After configuring the server, use this reference to help maintain it.
The Directory Server can also be managed through the Directory Server Console, a graphical user
interface. The Red Hat Directory Server Administrator's Guide describes how to do this and explains
individual administration tasks more fully.

1. Directory Server Overview

The major components of Directory Server include:
• An LDAP server – The LDAP v3-compliant network daemon.
• Directory Server Console – A graphical management console that dramatically reduces the effort of
setting up and maintaining your directory service.
• SNMP agent – Can monitor the Directory Server using the Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP).

2. Examples and Formatting

All of the examples for Red Hat Directory Server commands, file locations, and other usage are given
for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (32-bit) systems. Be certain to use the appropriate commands and files
for your platform.
To start the Red Hat Directory Server:
/etc/init.d/dirsv start
Example 1. Example Command
All of the tools for Red Hat Directory Server are located in the /usr/bin directory. These tools can be
run from any location without specifying the tool location.
There is another important consideration with the Red Hat Directory Server tools. The LDAP tools
referenced in this guide are Mozilla LDAP, installed with Red Hat Directory Server in the /usr/lib/
mozldap directory on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (32-bit).
However, Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems also include LDAP tools from OpenLDAP in the /usr/
bin directory. It is possible to use the OpenLDAP commands as shown in the examples, but you must
use the -x argument to disable SASL, which OpenLDAP tools use by default.
Certain words are represented in different fonts, styles, and weights. Different character formatting is
used to indicate the function or purpose of the phrase being highlighted.
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