Securing and Optimizing Linux: RedHat Edition -A Hands on Guide
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26.7. OpenLDAP Creation and Maintenance Tools

To Create of the LDMB backend database, there are two methods to create a database for LDAP,

  1. The first is off-line with the ldif2ldbm command utility

  2. The other is on-line with the ldapadd command utility.

Usually you use the off-line method when you have many thousands of entries to insert into your database and the on-line method when you have only a small number of entries to put into your database. It is also important to note that

26.7.1. LDMB backend database off-line

The first thing to do is to create an LDIF input file containing a text representation of your entries. The text file named my-data-file below can be used as an example file. Of course, your real LDIF input file will handle much more information than this example. When you install OpenLDAP for the first time and have big entries to put in your backend database, it's always a good idea to put all this information into a text file and add them into your backend database with the ldif2ldbm command utility.

Example 26-1. my-data-file

Create the file, touch /tmp/my-data-file and add as an example in this file the following lines: 

  1. 
                         dn: o=openna, c=com
                         o: openna
                         objectclass: organization

                         dn: cn=Gerhard Mourani, o=openna, c=com
                         cn: Gerhard Mourani
                         sn: Mourani
                         mail: [email protected]
                         title: Author
                         objectclass: person

                         dn: cn=Anthony Bay, o=openna, c=com
                         cn: Anthony Bay
                         sn: Bay
                         homephone: (444) 111-2233
                         mobile: (444) 555-6677
                         mail: [email protected]
                         objectclass: person

                         dn: cn=George Parker, o=openna, c=com
                         cn: George Parker
                         sn: Parker
                         telephonenumber: (555) 234-5678
                         fax: (543) 987-6543
                         mobile: (543) 321-4354
                         description: E-Commerce
                         objectclass: person
    The above example shows you how to convert your information into LDIF files before adding them to your new backend directory. Consult your OpenLDAP documentation or book for more information.

  2. Once the LDIF input file containing our entries has been created, we must insert it in the LDAP directory server. To insert the LDIF input file and create the database off-line, use the following command: 
    
                         [root@deep ]/tmp# ldif2ldbm -i <inputfile>  -f <slapdconfigfile>
                         [root@deep ]/tmp# ldif2ldbm -i my-data-file -f /etc/openldap/slapd.conf
    The -i option with the <inputfile> option specifies the location of the LDIF input file containing the entries in text form to add. The <slapdconfigfile> option specifies the location of the slapd configuration file, which specifies where to create the indexes, what indexes to create, etc.

Important: It is important to note that the slapd daemon of LDAP is not started in this mode of creation.

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