Search the directory entries

There are three options for searching the directory tree:

• A Simple search using a predefined set of search criteria
• An Advanced search using a user-defined set of search criteria
• A Manual search

The search options are accessible by expanding the Directory management category in the navigation area, click Find entries. Select either the Search filters or Options tab.

Search filters

Select one of the following types of searches:

Simple search

A simple search uses a default search criteria:

• Base DN is All suffixes
• Search scope is Subtree
• Search size is Unlimited
• Time limit is Unlimited
• Alias dereferencing is never
• Chase referrals is deselected (off)

To perform a simple search:

1. On the Search filter tab, click Simple search.
2. Select an object class from the drop-down list.
3. Select a specific attribute for the selected entry type. If you select to search on a specific attribute, select an attribute from the drop-down list and enter the attribute value in the Is equal to box. If you do not specify an attribute, the search returns all the directory entries of the selected entry type.

Advanced search

An advanced search enables you to specify search constraints and enable search filters. Use the Simple search to use default search criteria.

• To perform an advanced search:
  1. On the Search filter tab, click Advanced search.
  2. Select an Attribute from the drop-down list.
  3. Select a Comparison operator
     • =The attribute is equal to the value.
     • ! The attribute is not equal to the value.
     • < The attribute is less than or equal to the value.
     • > The attribute is greater than or equal to the value.
     • ~ The attribute approximately equal to the value.
  4. Enter the Value for comparison.
  5. Use the search operator buttons for complex queries.
     • If you already added at least one search filter, specify the additional criteria and click AND. The AND command returns entries that match both sets of search criteria.
     • If you already added at least one search filter, specify the additional criteria and click OR. The OR command returns entries that match either set of search criteria.
  6. • Click Add to add the search filter criteria to the advanced search
     • Click Delete to remove the search filter criteria from the advanced search
     • Click Reset to clear all search filters.

Manual search

Use this method to create a search filter. For example to search on surnames enter sn=* in the field. If you are searching on multiple attributes, you must use search filter syntax. For example to search for the surnames of a particular department you enter:

(&(sn=*)(dept=<departmentname>))

Options

At the Options tab:

• Search base DN - Select suffix from the drop-down list to search only within that suffix.
  Note:
  If you started this task from the Manage entries panel, this field is filled in for you. You selected the Parent DN before clicking Add to start the add entry process.
  You can also select All suffixes to search the entire tree.
  Note:
  
  A subtree search with All suffixes selected will not return schema information, change log information, nor anything from the system-projected backend.
  
• Search scope
  • Select Object to search only within the selected object.
  • Select Single level to search only within the immediate children of the selected object.
  • Select Subtree to search all descendants of the selected entry.
• Search size limit - Enter the maximum number of entries to search or select Unlimited.
• Search time limit - Enter the maximum number of seconds for the search or select Unlimited.
• Select a type of Alias dereferencing from the drop-down list.
  • Never - If the selected entry is an alias, it is not dereferenced for the search, that is, the search ignores the reference to the alias.
  • Finding - If the selected entry is an alias, the search dereferences the alias and search from the location of the alias.
  • Searching - The selected entry is not dereferenced, but any entries found in the search are dereferenced.
  • Always - All aliases encountered in the search are dereferenced.
• Select the Chase referrals check box to follow referrals to another server if a referral is returned in the search. When a referral directs the search to another server, the connection to the server uses the current credentials. If you are logged in as Anonymous you might need to log in to the server using an authenticated DN.

See Adjust search settings for additional information about searches.