Cn=tasks, Important, Nstaskstatus – Red Hat 8.1 User Manual

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2.3.15. cn=tasks

Some core Directory Server tasks can be initiated by editing a directory entry using LDAP tools. These
task entries are contained in cn=tasks. Each task can be invoked by updating an entry such as the
following:

dn: cn=task_id, cn=task_type, cn=tasks, cn=config
...

In Red Hat Directory Server deployments before Directory Server 8.0, many Directory Server tasks were
managed by the Administration Server. These tasks were moved to the core Directory Server
configuration in version 8.0 and are invoked and administered by Directory Server under the cn=tasks
entry.

There are seven tasks that are managed under the cn=tasks entry:

cn=import
cn=export
cn=backup
cn=restore
cn=index
cn=schema reload task
cn=memberof task

The common attributes for these tasks are listed in

Section 2.3.15.1, “Task Invocation Attributes for

Entries under cn=tasks”

The cn=tasks entry itself has no attributes and serves as the parent and container entry for the
individual task entries.

IMPORTANT

Task entries are not permanent configuration entries. They only exist in the configuration file for
as long as the task operation is running or until the ttl period expires. Then, the entry is deleted
automatically by the server.

2.3.15.1. Task Invocation Attributes for Entries under cn=tasks

Five tasks which administer Directory Server instances have configuration entries which initiate and
identify individual operations. These task entries are instances of the same object class,
extensibleObject, and have certain common attributes which describe the state and behavior of
Directory Server tasks. The task types can be import, export, backup, restore, index, schema reload, and
memberof.

The cn attribute is used to identify a new task operation to initiate. The cn attribute value can be
anything, as long as it defines a new task.

Parameter

Description

Entry DN

cn=task_name, cn=task_type, cn=tasks,
cn=config

Valid Values

Any string

Default Value
Syntax

DirectoryString

Example

cn: example task entry name

nsTaskStatus

This attribute contains changing information about the status of the task, such as cumulative statistics
or its current output message. The entire contents of the attribute may be updated periodically for as
long as the process is running.

This attribute value is set by the server and should not be edited.