7 Network Working Group K. Zeilenga
8 Request for Comments: 4525 OpenLDAP Foundation
9 Category: Informational June 2006
12 Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
13 Modify-Increment Extension
18 This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does
19 not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this
24 Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2006).
28 This document describes an extension to the Lightweight Directory
29 Access Protocol (LDAP) Modify operation to support an increment
30 capability. This extension is useful in provisioning applications,
31 especially when combined with the assertion control and/or the pre-
32 read or post-read control extension.
36 1. Background and Intended Use .....................................1
37 2. The Modify-Increment Extension ..................................2
38 3. LDIF Support ....................................................2
39 4. Security Considerations .........................................3
40 5. IANA Considerations .............................................3
41 5.1. Object Identifier ..........................................3
42 5.2. LDAP Protocol Mechanism ....................................3
43 5.3. LDAP Protocol Mechanism ....................................4
44 6. References ......................................................4
45 6.1. Normative References .......................................4
46 6.2. Informative References .....................................5
48 1. Background and Intended Use
50 The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) [RFC4510] does not
51 currently provide an operation to increment values of an attribute.
52 A client must read the values of the attribute and then modify those
53 values to increment them by the desired amount. As the values may be
54 updated by other clients between this add and modify, the client must
58 Zeilenga Informational [Page 1]
60 RFC 4525 LDAP Modify-Increment Extension June 2006
63 be careful to construct the modify request so that it fails in this
64 case, and upon failure, to re-read the values and construct a new
67 This document extends the LDAP Modify Operation [RFC4511] to support
68 an increment values capability. This feature is intended to be used
69 with either the LDAP pre-read or post-read control extensions
70 [RFC4527]. This feature may also be used with the LDAP assertion
71 control extension [RFC4528] to provide test-and-increment
74 In this document key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL",
75 "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
76 "OPTIONAL" are to be interpreted as described in BCP 14 [RFC2119].
78 2. The Modify-Increment Extension
80 This document extends the LDAP Modify request to support a increment
81 values capability. Implementations of this extension SHALL support
82 an additional ModifyRequest operation enumeration value increment
83 (3), as described herein. Implementations not supporting this
84 extension will treat this value as they would an unlisted value,
85 e.g., as a protocol error.
87 The increment (3) operation value specifies that an increment values
88 modification is requested. All existing values of the modification
89 attribute are to be incremented by the listed value. The
90 modification attribute must be appropriate for the request (e.g., it
91 must have INTEGER or other increment-able values), and the
92 modification must provide one and only one value. If the attribute
93 is not appropriate for the request, a constraintViolation or other
94 appropriate error is to be returned. If multiple values are
95 provided, a protocolError is to be returned.
97 Servers supporting this feature SHOULD publish the object identifier
98 (OID) 1.3.6.1.1.14 as a value of the 'supportedFeatures' [RFC4512]
99 attribute in the root DSE. Clients supporting this feature SHOULD
100 NOT use the feature unless they know the server supports it.
104 To represent Modify-Increment requests in LDAP Data Interchange
105 Format [RFC2849], the ABNF [RFC4234] production <mod-spec> is
108 mod-spec =/ "increment:" FILL AttributeDescription SEP
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116 RFC 4525 LDAP Modify-Increment Extension June 2006
121 # Increment uidNumber
122 dn: cn=max-assigned uidNumber,dc=example,dc=com
128 This LDIF fragment represents a Modify request to increment the
129 value(s) of uidNumber by 1.
131 4. Security Considerations
133 General LDAP security considerations [RFC4510], as well as those
134 specific to the LDAP Modify [RFC4511], apply to this Modify-Increment
135 extension. Beyond these considerations, it is noted that
136 introduction of this extension should reduce application complexity
137 (by providing one operation for what presently requires multiple
138 operations) and, hence, it may aid in the production of correct and
139 secure implementations.
141 5. IANA Considerations
143 Registration of the following values [RFC4520] have been completed.
145 5.1. Object Identifier
147 The IANA has assigned an LDAP Object Identifier to identify the LDAP
148 Modify-Increment feature, as defined in this document.
150 Subject: Request for LDAP Object Identifier Registration
151 Person & email address to contact for further information:
152 Kurt Zeilenga <kurt@OpenLDAP.org>
153 Specification: RFC 4525
154 Author/Change Controller: Author
156 Identifies the LDAP Modify-Increment feature
158 5.2. LDAP Protocol Mechanism
160 The following LDAP Protocol Mechanism has been registered.
162 Subject: Request for LDAP Protocol Mechanism Registration
163 Object Identifier: 1.3.6.1.1.14
164 Description: Modify-Increment
165 Person & email address to contact for further information:
166 Kurt Zeilenga <kurt@openldap.org>
170 Zeilenga Informational [Page 3]
172 RFC 4525 LDAP Modify-Increment Extension June 2006
176 Specification: RFC 4525
177 Author/Change Controller: Kurt Zeilenga <kurt@openldap.org>
180 5.3. LDAP Protocol Mechanism
182 The IANA has assigned an LDAP ModifyRequest Operation Type (3)
183 [RFC4520] for use in this document.
185 Subject: Request for LDAP Protocol Mechanism Registration
186 ModifyRequest Operation Name: increment
187 Description: Modify-Increment
188 Person & email address to contact for further information:
189 Kurt Zeilenga <kurt@openldap.org>
191 Specification: RFC 4525
192 Author/Change Controller: Kurt Zeilenga <kurt@openldap.org>
197 6.1. Normative References
199 [RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
200 Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.
202 [RFC4234] Crocker, D. and P. Overell, "Augmented BNF for Syntax
203 Specifications: ABNF", RFC 4234, October 2005.
205 [RFC2849] Good, G., "The LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF) -
206 Technical Specification", RFC 2849, June 2000.
208 [RFC4510] Zeilenga, K., Ed., "Lightweight Directory Access
209 Protocol (LDAP): Technical Specification Road Map", RFC
212 [RFC4511] Sermersheim, J., Ed., "Lightweight Directory Access
213 Protocol (LDAP): The Protocol", RFC 4511, June 2006.
215 [RFC4512] Zeilenga, K., "Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
216 (LDAP): Directory Information Models", RFC 4512, June
226 Zeilenga Informational [Page 4]
228 RFC 4525 LDAP Modify-Increment Extension June 2006
231 6.2. Informative References
233 [RFC4520] Zeilenga, K., "Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
234 (IANA) Considerations for the Lightweight Directory
235 Access Protocol (LDAP)", BCP 64, RFC 4520, June 2006.
237 [RFC4527] Zeilenga, K., "Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
238 (LDAP) Read Entry Controls", RFC 4527, June 2006.
240 [RFC4528] Zeilenga, K., "Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
241 (LDAP) Assertion Control", RFC 4528, June 2006.
248 EMail: Kurt@OpenLDAP.org
282 Zeilenga Informational [Page 5]
284 RFC 4525 LDAP Modify-Increment Extension June 2006
287 Full Copyright Statement
289 Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2006).
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