---
title: Using static groups
description: "Understand the PingDirectory static group object classes: groupOfNames, groupOfUniqueNames, and groupOfEntries."
component: pingdirectory
version: 10.3
page_id: pingdirectory:pingdirectory_server_administration_guide:pd_ds_use_static_groups
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/11.1/pingdirectory_server_administration_guide/pd_ds_use_static_groups.html
llms_txt: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/llms.txt
docs_for_agents: https://developer.pingidentity.com/build-with-ai/docs-for-agents.md
revdate: 2026-08-21T00:00:00Z
superseded_by: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/11.1/pingdirectory_server_administration_guide/pd_ds_use_static_groups.html
---

# Using static groups

A static group uses a multivalued attribute to contain an explicit membership list of distinguished names (DNs).

The PingDirectory server supports three types of static groups: `groupOfNames`, `groupOfUniqueNames`, and `groupOfEntries`. The following definitions describe each type of static group.

* `groupOfNames`

  A static group that is defined with the `groupOfNames` structural object class and uses the `member` attribute to hold the DNs of its members.

  RFC 4519 requires the `member` attribute to be present in an entry. The PingDirectory server has relaxed this restriction by making the `member` attribute optional so that the last member in the group can be removed. The following entry depicts a group defined with the `groupOfNames` object class.

  ```
  dn: cn=Test Group,ou=Groups,dc=example,dc=com
  objectClass: top
  objectClass: groupOfNames
  cn: Test Group
  member: uid=user.1,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com
  member: uid=user.2,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com
  member: uid=user.3,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com
  ```

* `groupOfUniqueNames`

  A static group that is defined with the `groupOfUniqueNames` structural object class and uses the `uniqueMember` attribute to hold the DNs of its members.

  RFC 4519 requires the `uniqueMember` attribute to be present in an entry. The PingDirectory server has relaxed this restriction by making the `uniqueMember` attribute optional so that the last member in the group can be removed. The following entry depicts a group defined with the `groupOfUniqueNames` object class.

  ```
  dn: cn=Test Group,ou=Groups,dc=example,dc=com
  objectClass: top
  objectClass: groupOfUniqueNames
  cn: Test Group
  uniqueMember: uid=user.1,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com
  uniqueMember: uid=user.2,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com
  uniqueMember: uid=user.3,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com
  ```

* `groupOfEntries`

  A static group that is defined with the `groupOfEntries` object class and uses the `member` attribute to hold the DNs of its members.

  This group specifies that the `member` attribute is optional so that the last member can be removed from the group. Although the draft proposal (draft-findlay-ldap-groupofentries-00.txt) has expired, the PingDirectory server supports this implementation. The following entry depicts a group defined with the `groupOfEntries` object class.

  ```
  dn: cn=Test Group,ou=Groups,dc=example,dc=com
  objectClass: top
  objectClass: groupOfEntries
  cn: Test Group
  member: uid=user.1,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com
  member: uid=user.2,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com
  member: uid=user.3,ou=People,dc=example,dc=com
  ```