Netscape Standard Schema40 Netscape Directory Server Deployment Guide • May 2002• Extending the standard Directory Server schema to define new elements tomeet your remaining needs.• Planning for schema maintenance.It is best to use existing schema elements defined in the standard schema providedwith Directory Server. Choosing standard schema elements helps ensurecompatibility with directory-enabled applications. In addition, as the schema isbased on the LDAP standard, you are assured it has been reviewed and agreed toby a wide number of directory users.Netscape Standard SchemaYour directory schema maintain the integrity of the data stored in your directoryby imposing constraints on the size, range, and format of data values. You decidewhat types of entries your directory contains (people, devices, organizations, andso forth) and the attributes available to each entry.The predefined schema included with Directory Server contains both the standardLDAP schema as well as additional application-specific schema to support thefeatures of the server. While this schema meets most directory needs, you mayneed to extend it with new object classes and attributes to accommodate the uniqueneeds of your directory. Refer to “Customizing the Schema” for information onextending the schema.The following sections describe the format, standard attributes, and object classesincluded in the Netscape standard schema.Schema FormatDirectory Server bases its schema format on version 3 of the LDAP protocol(LDAPv3). This protocol requires directory servers to publish their schemasthrough LDAP itself, allowing directory client applications to programmaticallyretrieve the schema and adapt their behavior based on it. The global set of schemafor Directory Server can be found in the entry named cn=schema.
