Re: backend documentation

["Kurt D. Zeilenga" <Kurt@OpenLDAP.org>]

At 01:33 PM 6/26/2003, Hallvard B Furuseth wrote:
>Considering the number of requests for help with configuration of the
>bdb backend, I'd like to add a few words comparing bdb and ldbm in the
>documentation:

back-ldbm offers far less features and hence is far easier to configure,
but both "take some care" to configure.  In the backends section,
I think it very important to point out that back-ldbm does not offer the
same level of data durability as back-bdb.

>man/man5/slapd-bdb.5:
>  The BDB backend to slapd is the recommended backend for a normal slapd
>  database.
>+ However, unlike the ldbm backend, it takes some care to configure it
>+ properly.
>  It uses the Sleepycat Berkeley DB (BDB) package to store data.  (...)
>
>man/man5/slapd-ldbm.5:
>- The LDBM backend to slapd is a database which uses one of BerkeleyDB,
>- GNU DBM, MDBM or NDBM to store data.
>+ This is the database backend which is easiest to configure.
>+ It uses one of BerkeleyDB, GNU DBM, MDBM or NDBM to store data.

s/GNU DBM/GDBM/ as that is what is generally known as.
Don't list NDBM as it is not supported.
Don't list MDBM as it is experimental, platform specific, and generally
not supported.

>+ It uses fewer features of Berkeley DB than the bdb backend.

I would replace this with:
        The LDBM backend to slapd does not offer data durability features
        of the BDB backend.

The above suggestions are applicable to the text below as well.

>BACKENDS
>     The following backends can be compiled into slapd:
>
>     bdb  This is the recommended  backend  for  a  normal  slapd
>          database.   However,  unlike the ldbm backend, it takes
>          some care  to  configure  it  properly.   It  uses  the
>          Sleepycat  Berkeley DB (BDB) package to store data.  It
>          makes extensive use of indexing and  caching  to  speed
>          data access.
>
>     ldbm This is  the  database  backend  which  is  easiest  to
>          configure.  It uses one of BerkeleyDB, GNU DBM, MDBM or
>          NDBM to store data.  It uses fewer features of Berkeley
>          DB  than  the  bdb  backend.  It makes extensive use of
>          indexing and caching to speed data access.
>
>     dnssrv
>          This  backend  serves  up  referrals  based  upon   SRV
>          resource records held in the Domain Name System.

This backend is experimental.


>     ldap This backend  acts  as  a  proxy  to  forward  incoming
>          requests to another LDAP server.
>
>     meta This backend performs basic LDAP proxying with  respect
>          to  a set of remote LDAP servers.  It is an enhancement
>          of the ldap backend.
>
>     monitor
>          This backend is not an actual database; if enabled,  it
>          is  automatically  generated and dynamically maintained
>          by slapd with information about the running  status  of
>          the daemon.
>
>     null Operations in this backend succeed but do nothing.   It
>          is inspired by the /dev/null device.
>
>     passwd
>          This backend is  provided  for  demonstration  purposes
>          only.  It serves up the user account information listed
>          in the system passwd(5) file.
>
>     perl This backend works by embedding a  perl(1)  interpreter
>          into slapd.  The configuration file then specifies Perl
>          subroutines that will service LDAP requests.
>
>     shell
>          This backend executes external  programs  to  implement
>          LDAP  operations.   It  is  is primarily intended to be
>          used in prototypes.
>
>     sql  This  backend  is  experimental.   It   services   LDAP
>          requests from an SQL database.
>
>     tcl  This backend is experimental.  It works by embedding  a
>          Tcl(3tcl)  interpreter  into  slapd.  The configuration
>          file then specifies Tcl commands that will service LDAP
>          requests.
>
>
>Comments?
>
>-- 
>Hallvard