One document matched: draft-ietf-asid-leafnonleaf-00.txt

The leaf and nonLeaf Object Classes                            M. Smith
INTERNET-DRAFT                                                 T. Howes
                                                 University of Michigan
                                                       21 November 1995

           Definition of the leaf and nonLeaf Object Classes
              Filename: draft-ietf-asid-leafnonleaf-00.txt

                          Status of this Memo

   This document is an Internet-Draft.  Internet-Drafts are working
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   Distribution of this memo is unlimited.  Editorial comments should be
   sent to the authors (mcs@umich.edu).  Technical discussion will take
   place on the IETF ASID mailing list (ietf-asid@umich.edu).

   This Internet Draft expires on 21 May 1995.

Abstract

   Applications of X.500, LDAP, and similar directory services need to
   be able to efficiently and unambiguously determine if an entry is a
   leaf entry (no entries exist beneath the entry) or a non-leaf entry
   (entries do exist beneath the entry).  While some implementations use
   proprietary object classes to allow directory clients to make the
   distinction, there is no standard defined.  This document defines two
   object classes that may be used by all implementations to allow
   directory clients to distinguish leaf entries from non-leaf entries.

Background and Intended Usage

   This document defines two object classes (leaf and nonLeaf) that may



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   be used by X.500 [1], LDAP [2], and other directory implementations
   to allow applications to distinguish leaf entries from non-leaf
   entries.  A leaf entry is one that does not have any other entries
   beneath it (that is, it is not a container).  A non-leaf entry is one
   that does have other entries beneath it (that is, it is a container
   for other entries).  Each entry in the directory is one of these two
   types.

   Directory servers that comply with this specification should
   automatically include the leaf object class value in all entries that
   do not have other entries beneath them.  Similarly, the nonLeaf
   object class value should be included in all other entries.  If one
   of these two object class values is present in an entry, directory
   clients can unambiguously know whether an entry may have other
   entries beneath it.  This capability is particularly useful when
   browsing the directory in a hierarchical fashion.  If neither value
   is present, the client must use other means (such as a one-level or
   subtree search based at the entry in question to see if any "child"
   entries are present).

   It is intended that the schema elements defined in this document will
   be progressed according to the process defined by the Internet X.500
   Schema Working Group [3].

Definition of the leaf Object Class

   Name:              leaf
   Description:       object that does not contain other entries
   OID:               umichObjectClass.19 (1.3.6.1.4.1.250.3.19)
   SubclassOf:        top
   MustContain:
   MayContain:

Definition of the nonLeaf Object Class

   Name:              nonLeaf
   Description:       object that contains other entries
   OID:               umichObjectClass.20 (1.3.6.1.4.1.250.3.20)
   SubclassOf:        top
   MustContain:
   MayContain:        numberOfChildren, numberOfDescendants










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Definition of the numberOfChildren Attribute

   Name:              numberOfChildren
   ShortName:
   OID:               umichAttributeType.62 (1.3.6.1.4.1.250.1.62)
   Syntax:            Integer
   SizeRestriction:   none
   SingleValued:      TRUE
   MatchesFor:

Definition of the numberOfDescendants Attribute

   Name:              numberOfDescendants
   ShortName:
   OID:               umichAttributeType.63 (1.3.6.1.4.1.250.1.63)
   Syntax:            Integer
   SizeRestriction:   none
   SingleValued:      TRUE
   MatchesFor:

Discussion of the Object Class and Attribute Schema

   Entries that do not have other entries beneath them belong to the
   leaf object class.  Entries that have other entries beneath them
   belong to the nonLeaf object class.

   The numberOfChildren attribute, if present, contains a count of the
   entries that are listed directly below the non-leaf entry (that is,
   the number of entries that are in the single-level beneath the
   entry).  The numberOfDescendants attribute, if present, contains a
   count of the total number of entries that are listed anywhere beneath
   the non-leaf entry (that is, the total number of entries that are
   contained in the directory subtree beneath the entry).


References

   [1] Information Processing Systems -- Open Systems Interconnection --
   The Directory: Overview of Concepts, Models and Service.  ISO/IEC JTC
   1/SC21; International Standard 9594-1, 1988.

   [2] Yeong, W., Howes, T., and S. Kille, "Lightweight Directory Access
   Protocol", RFC 1777, Performance Systems International, University of
   Michigan, ISODE Consortium, March 1995,
   <URL:ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1777.txt>

   [3] Howes, T., Rossen, K., Sataluri, S., and Wright, R., "Procedures
   for Formalizing, Evolving, and Maintaining the Internet X.500



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   Directory Schema", Internet Draft (Work In Progress) of the Schema
   Working Group, <URL:ftp://ds.internic.net/internet-drafts/
   draft-howes-x500-schema-03.txt>


Security Considerations

   Security considerations are not discussed in this memo.


Acknowledgments

   This material is based upon work supported by the National Science
   Foundation under Grant No. NCR-9416667.


Authors' Addresses

   Mark Smith
   University of Michigan
   Information Technology Division
   535 W. William St.
   Ann Arbor, MI 48103-4943, USA
   Phone:  +1 313 764-2277
   EMail:  mcs@umich.edu


   Tim Howes
   University of Michigan
   Information Technology Division
   535 W. William St.
   Ann Arbor, MI 48103-4943, USA
   Phone:  +1 313 747-4454
   EMail:  tim@umich.edu

                This Internet Draft expires on 21 May 1995.















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