Before configuring and populating your database, determine:
What type of data you are going to store in the directory
Decide what sort of schema you need to support the type of data
you want to keep in your directory. A standard set of attribute-type
definitions and object-class definitions is included with the directory
server. Before you begin adding entries to the directory, you might
want to add new attribute-type and object-class definitions that are
customized to your data.
Note:
You can make schema additions
after the directory is already populated with data, but schema changes
might require you to unload and reload your data.
Which code page you are going to use
Decide whether to create your database using the local code
page or using the Universal Character Set (UTF-8). Selecting the local
code page enables Tivoli Directory Server applications and users to get search results
as expected for the collation sequence of the native language, but
allows only data in that specific code page to be stored in the directory.
Using UTF-8 enables the storing of any UTF-8 character data in the
directory. Tivoli Directory Server clients running anywhere in the world (in any UTF-8
supported language) can access and search the directory. In many cases,
however, the client might have limited ability to properly display
the results retrieved from the directory in a particular language
or character set. See Appendix O. UTF-8 support for more information.
Note:
If you want to use language tags, the database must be a
UTF-8 database.
How you want to structure your directory data
An IBM® Directory is stored
in a hierarchical tree structure. The names of entries in the directory
are based on their relative position within the tree structure. It
is important to define some logical organization to the directory.
A logical organization makes it easier for clients to determine which
branch of the tree contains the information they are trying to locate.
Your data security requirements
See the Secure Sockets Layer information in the IBM Tivoli Directory Server Version
6.3 Administration Guide for information about how your data
is secured.
How you want to allocate access permissions
See the access control lists information in the IBM Tivoli Directory Server Version
6.3 Administration Guide for information about using access permissions.
Whether you need a proxy server
If the directory data is large and the environment is write-intensive,
consider using a proxy server. Large directory environments that are
read-heavy might be able to achieve adequate scaling by introducing
replication. Before deciding to use a proxy server, refer to the list
of supported features within the proxy server in the IBM Tivoli® Directory
Server Version 6.3 Administration Guide. Proxy server supports
fewer features than the directory server alone.