Definition -- Directory Information Tree

Definition: Directory Information Tree

The directory information tree, or DIT, refers to the hierarchical structure of the data in a Directory Server. The DIT contains one or more naming contexts, which are the base entries for the server, and every other entry is descended from one of those naming context entries. That is, a naming context entry is special in that it does not have a parent entry.

The following is a graphical example of a DIT:

In this example, the entry "dc=example,dc=com" is the naming context, and it has two immediate children, with DNs of "ou=People,dc=example,dc=com" and "ou=Groups,dc=example,dc=com", respectively, and each of those entries has its own subordinate entries. There is no predefined limit to the maximum depth of a directory tree, and any entry can potentially have one or more subordinate entries. An entry that does not contain any subordinates is said to be a leaf entry, and any entry that has at least one subordinate entry is called a non-leaf entry.

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