RFC 2251 (rfc2251) - Page 2 of 50

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (v3)

RFC 2251                         LDAPv3                    December 1997


   Readers are hereby warned that until mandatory authentication
   mechanisms are standardized, clients and servers written according to
   this specification which make use of update functionality are
   UNLIKELY TO INTEROPERATE, or MAY INTEROPERATE ONLY IF AUTHENTICATION
   IS REDUCED TO AN UNACCEPTABLY WEAK LEVEL.

   Implementors are hereby discouraged from deploying LDAPv3 clients or
   servers which implement the update functionality, until a Proposed
   Standard for mandatory authentication in LDAPv3 has been approved and
   published as an RFC.

Table of Contents

   1.  Status of this Memo ....................................  1
       Copyright Notice .......................................  1
       IESG Note ..............................................  1
   2.  Abstract ...............................................  3
   3.  Models .................................................  4
   3.1. Protocol Model ........................................  4
   3.2. Data Model ............................................  5
   3.2.1. Attributes of Entries ...............................  5
   3.2.2. Subschema Entries and Subentries ....................  7
   3.3. Relationship to X.500 .................................  8
   3.4. Server-specific Data Requirements .....................  8
   4.  Elements of Protocol ...................................  9
   4.1. Common Elements .......................................  9
   4.1.1. Message Envelope ....................................  9
   4.1.1.1. Message ID ........................................ 11
   4.1.2. String Types ........................................ 11
   4.1.3. Distinguished Name and Relative Distinguished Name .. 11
   4.1.4. Attribute Type ...................................... 12
   4.1.5. Attribute Description ............................... 13
   4.1.5.1. Binary Option ..................................... 14
   4.1.6. Attribute Value ..................................... 14
   4.1.7. Attribute Value Assertion ........................... 15
   4.1.8. Attribute ........................................... 15
   4.1.9. Matching Rule Identifier ............................ 15
   4.1.10. Result Message ..................................... 16
   4.1.11. Referral ........................................... 18
   4.1.12. Controls ........................................... 19
   4.2. Bind Operation ........................................ 20
   4.2.1. Sequencing of the Bind Request ...................... 21
   4.2.2. Authentication and Other Security Services .......... 22
   4.2.3. Bind Response ....................................... 23
   4.3. Unbind Operation ...................................... 24
   4.4. Unsolicited Notification .............................. 24
   4.4.1. Notice of Disconnection ............................. 24
   4.5. Search Operation ...................................... 25



Wahl, et. al.               Standards Track