Subject: objectclass matching rule

From: Steve Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 11:15:46 -0400

The equality matching rule for 'objectclass' is 'objectIdentifierMatch'.
However, when using a name for the objectclass, instead of the OID,
should the matching be case-sensitive or case-insensitive? For example,
using an objectclass name in a search filter?

I looked through RFC2251, RFC2252, and RFC2256 and didn't see this issue
clearly addressed. Maybe I missed it, or maybe it is somewhere else or
maybe it needs to be somewhere.

Thanks,

Steve

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From: "Kurt D. Zeilenga" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 09:42:08 -0700

>using an objectclass name in a search filter?

Based upon prior discussion, I believe consensus is that
the descr form of an OID is case insensitive. 

>maybe it needs to be somewhere.

RFC2252bis will clarify this.

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From: Steve Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 13:51:33 -0400

Thanks.

Also, do any of the current/bis specs say whether original case MUST or
SHOULD be preserved. E.g., if I add an entry with 'objectclass: Country' am I
guaranteed to get search results with 'objectclass: Country' or is it ok to
get back 'objectclass: country' instead?
Is there any general statement of case-preservation of attribute values whose
matching rules are case-insensitive?

Steve

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From: Steve Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 14:48:24 -0400

"Kurt D. Zeilenga" wrote:

> The general rule is that values should be preserved but that
> there is no requirement to preserve the representation of that
> value.  That likely needs to be stated somewhere in the data
> model specification.

Thanks. It would be quite helpful to formalize this in the current round of edits
-- one fewer endless debate. (Though allowing different representations of the
same value will generate some surprises to end users, and the inevitable support
calls...disallowing would most likely break some implementations.)

Steve

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From: "Kurt D. Zeilenga" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 11:13:29 -0700

At 10:51 AM 7/25/2001, Steve Miller wrote:
>SHOULD be preserved.

Or MAY?

If the syntax was DirectoryString, the value MUST be preserved.  But
the syntax is ObjectIdentifier which allows both descr and numericoid
forms.  While the descr form is preferred on the wire, a server
MUST be allowed to convert it to numericoid for storage (as would
be required when implementing a LDAP->DAP gateway).  When this
value is requested, the server is obligated to return a descr
form.  It obviously could chose a different descr representation
(and not just be case) of the OID than that provided upon entry
creation.

Note that this issue is not limited to OIDs.  Consider the value
of member attribute, a DN.  The server may store the DN using
XER encoding for all we know.  When returned, it may not be the
same RFC2253 string, but it is the same DN.

Kurt

>E.g., if I add an entry with 'objectclass: Country' am I