[389-users] sub-tree synchronization/watching: persistent search questions

[Rich Megginson]

On 06/07/2013 05:42 AM, Petr Spacek wrote:
> Hello list,
>
> I would like to get opinions from 389 gurus to following problem.
>
> I have an application (DNS server), which needs to read content of 
> whole one sub-tree (cn=dns, dc=test) and keep it synchronized.
>
> The work flow is:
> 1) Application (DNS server) starts
> 2) Application reads all existing data out from the sub-tree
> 3) Application does /something/ with the existing data and starts 
> replying to application clients
> 4) Sub-tree has to be kept in sync with LDAP server, i.e. updates from 
> LDAP server should be incrementally applied to the 'state' inside the 
> application
>
>
> The problem with persistent search is that it doesn't offer any 
> reliable 'signal' that step (2) ended. The search is just running for 
> infinite time and I can't find any signal that all existing entries 
> were read already and now the application will get only Entry Change 
> Notifications.
>
>
> Basically, I'm looking for something like LDAP syncRepl in 
> refreshAndPersist mode with no cookie (RFC 4533 section 1.3.2 and 
> section 3.4).
>
>
> I know that Entry Change Notification from persistent search contains 
> bit field which denotes if the entry was 
> added/modified/deleted/nothing (i.e. not modified, just read). 
> Unfortunately, this bit field can't be used for *reliable* detection 
> that all existing entries were read.
>
>
> Could this 'hack' work reliably?
> 1) Start persistent search (in separate application thread), but 
> suspend result processing.
> 2) In another application thread, do the normal sub-tree search on the 
> same sub-tree. Normal search will be started *after* the persistent 
> search.
> 3) Process all results from normal search first
> 4) Do /something application specific/
> 5) Start processing updates from persistent search
>
> In my application I can cope with duplicates, when 'normal' search 
> returned entry cn=xyz and the persistent search returned the same 
> entry cn=xyz again.

Could you use entryUSN?  For example - keep searching until the entryUSN 
in the entry is the same as the global entryUSN, then fallback to 
persistent search?

>
>
> I can see another option:
> To implement 389 plugin which will provide (very partial) support for 
> RFC 4533. The idea is to implement only state-less pieces (no cookies) 
> and return some error when client attempts to use a cookie.

This would also likely use entryUSN for the cookie, internallly.

>
> Could somebody judge how difficult it can be? From my (naive) point of 
> view are state-less parts of RFC 4533 only 'persistent search 
> encapsulated in another LDAP controls'.
>
>
> Thank you very much for your time.
>