[LDAP-interop] any good tools for schema design?

[Ron Wheeler]

I have loaded up an export of the entire database into a www site

http://technology.artifact-software.com/LDAPSchema/ldapschema.html

You can navigate using the menus on the left or by clicking on things on 
the maps themselves.
An amazing number of things are clickable so try to click everything.
The object classes and attributes contain the definition text from the 
schema if you want to see the absolute truth.
The attributes are linked to the official definitions at 
http://www.alvestrand.no so you can get to the long descriptions if you 
want.
The small numbers on the icons refer to how many times the particular 
item is referenced elsewhere and if you hover over an object a menu 
drops down with the other references so you can get around pretty easily.

The html version looks like the Compendium version but is not editable.
It also appears that text blocks like definitions and the RFC texts have 
been formatted with HTML tags that the browser is not inclined to render 
so that you see the tags in the text rather than the formatted text. 
This appears to be a problem with the Compendium export.

I created this to help me better understand the structures of the 
schemas and to assist me in finding the ObjectClasses that I wanted by 
being able to quickly browse Attributes and ObjectClasses. It made it 
easy to see all of the duplication of ideas in the schemas.

The suggested next step for me as a directory developer using the 
Compendium version would be to eliminate all of the ObjectClasses that I 
do not intend to use and to add the custom ObjectClasses (and 
Attributes) that I need. I started with this map and made a copy for the 
custom design.

I have focused on the schemas that come with OpenLDAP but clearly other 
directory schemas could be added.

Any feedback is welcome.
If you want to pass this information along to the OpenLDAP forum or the 
umich forum, it would be interesting to hear their comments.

Enjoy.

Ron


Matthew Hardin wrote:

>Hi Ron,
>
>That's fascinating. I took a look at Compendium and liked it quite a bit.
>Can you share the map?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Matthew Hardin
>Symas Corporation
>Packaged, certified, and supported LDAP solutions powered by OpenLDAP:
>http://www.symas.com
>
>  
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: ldap-interop-bounces at fini.net [mailto:ldap-interop-bounces at fini.net]
>>On Behalf Of Ron Wheeler
>>Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 7:10 AM
>>To: OpenLDAP interoperability list
>>Subject: Re: [LDAP-interop] any good tools for schema design?
>>
>>I built a Compendium map of all of the OpenLDAP schemas which includes
>>all of the SYNTAX descriptions used by any of the OpenLDAP Schemas.
>>
>>This gives a graphical tool for understanding existing schemas and a
>>convenient way to design new ObjectClasses and Attributes. References to
>>previouisly defined Attributes and Sytax definitions can be included by
>>transclusion into the new Attribute or ObjectClass. It also helps to
>>identify the things that are already available so you do not design more
>>non-standard stuff than you have to.
>>
>>You still have to transcribe your design manually into a schema file.
>>
>>Compendium is free from compendiuminstitute.org
>>
>>Ron
>>
>>Michael Ströder wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Quanah Gibson-Mount wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>>I am trying to build my own ldap schema.
>>>>>But it is so difficult for me to undersand the SYNTAX, which is just a
>>>>>chain of numbers, when design a attributetype.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>A simple google search on one of the numbers will bring up any number of
>>>>sites explaining what the different SYNTAX rules mean.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>Additionally you could use a decent schema browser when browsing your
>>>own LDAP server (which one?):
>>>
>>>http://mstroeder.homeip.net:1760/web2ldap/oid?ldap://ldap.openldap.org/dc
>>>      
>>>
>>=openldap,dc=org
>>    
>>
>>>Be patient the network link of the URL is rather slow.
>>>
>>>Ciao, Michael.
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>LDAP-interop mailing list
>>>LDAP-interop at fini.net
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
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>
>
>
>
>  
>
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