Troubleshooting guide

5
Troubleshooting LDIF Files 27
5
Troubleshooting LDIF Files
The Novell Import Conversion Export utility lets you easily import LDIF files into and export LDIF
files from eDirectory. For more information, see “Novell Import Conversion Export Utility” in the
Novell eDirectory 8.8 SP7 Administration Guide.
In order for an LDIF import to work properly, you must start with an LDIF file that the Novell Import
Conversion Export utility can read and process. This section describes the LDIF file format and
syntax and provides examples of correct LDIF files.
 Section 5.1, “Understanding LDIF,” on page 27
 Section 5.2, “Debugging LDIF Files,” on page 34
 Section 5.3, “Using LDIF to Extend the Schema,” on page 39
5.1 Understanding LDIF
LDIF is a widely used file format that describes directory information or modification operations that
can be performed on a directory. LDIF is completely independent of the storage format used within
any specific directory implementation, and is typically used to export directory information from and
import data to LDAP servers.
LDIF is usually easy to generate. This makes it possible to use tools like awk or perl to move data
from a proprietary format into an LDAP directory. You can also write scripts to generate test data in
LDIF format.
5.1.1 LDIF File Format
Novell Import Conversion Export imports require LDIF 1 formatted files. The following are the basic
rules for an LDIF 1 file:
 The first non-comment line must be version: 1.
 A series of one or more records follows the version.
 Each record is composed of fields, one field per line.
 Lines are separated by either a new line or a carriage return/new line pair.
 Records are separated by one or more blank lines.
 There are two distinct types of LDIF records: content records and change records. An LDIF file
can contain an unlimited number of records, but they all must be of the same type. You can’t mix
content records and change records in the same LDIF file.
 Any line beginning with the pound sign (#) is a comment and is ignored when processing the
LDIF file.