[Date Prev][Date Next] [Chronological] [Thread] [Top]

cn=config



Quanah Gibson-Mount wrote:
Here are the reasons I would like to use cn=config:

(a) The ability to modify ACL's on the fly, without restarting the server

This is the same reason I'm not quite so enthusiastic about cn=config, ie. it could allow a non-root entity to remotely compromise my security, configuration, or data. I'm not saying a system couldn't be configured to safeguard against this, but there are no guarantees with most slapd defaults. At the very least, I hope cn=config continues to be optional. Ditto for acis.


> (b) The ability to modify (add or MOD, not delete) the schema on the
> fly, without restarting the server

That would be fun, but maybe just for schema spinners like me ;)

(c) The ability to add new indices on the fly, which will automatically trigger either updating or adding the new index, without restarting the server

That may be useful, but sometimes a CPU killer. Downtime may not be too awful by comparison.


(d) The ability to add new backends and overlays on the fly

I admit straight up I have no idea how valuable this would be. I can't see myself wanting it ever.


(e) The ability to store my replicas configuration (which differs from the masters) on the master as a secondary backend, and have changes to it replicated to all the replicas via (delta-)syncrepl to my replicas, so that I can just modify one location to push updates out to my 9 replica servers.

If I used replication, I would like this assuming it handled the necessary differences in configuration between a master and slave.


Those are just what come off the top of my head. Essentially, with cn=config, the only time I envision having to restart my servers are:

(a) Version upgrades

That could be at least monthly, right?

(b) Deleting schema elements

That would likely be never, I'd think.

I'm not saying cn=config is a bad idea, because keeping configuration in the DIT is a common strategy among LDAP implementations I've seen. But since I'm not a professional C programmer, I don't have a lot of money, and I see this problem as pretty nontrivial it's easy for me personally to pass on the offer to help a brother (top ten private university) out :)

Jon Roberts
www.mentata.com