Domino® LDAP Schema database

The schema daemon spawned by the LDAP service running on the administration server for the Domino® Directory creates the Domino® LDAP Schema database (SCHEMA.NSF). Subordinate servers within the domain that run the LDAP service automatically get a replica of this database. The Schema database is the vehicle used to propagate schema changes to all the servers in the domain that run the LDAP service.

About this task

Administrators use the Schema database to learn about the schema and to extend the schema. Administrators can use an Notes® client or Web browser client to access the Schema database and use it to extend the schema.

A schema defines what can be stored in the directory. The Schema database contains a document for each element defined in the Domino® schema. There are three kinds of LDAP Schema documents corresponding to different elements of the schema: Object classes, Attribute types, and Syntaxes. These documents show what the schema is for the servers in a domain that run the LDAP service.

The LDAP service automatically creates documents for each default schema element. Administrators can add schema elements, that is, extend the schema, by creating new documents themselves. Initially these new documents are draft documents, but when approved by an administrator, they are processed by an LDAP service process called the Schema daemon to become official schema elements.