--- title: LDIF Backend description: The LDIF Backend provides a mechanism for interacting with data stored in an LDIF file. component: pingds version: 8.1 page_id: pingds:configref:objects-ldif-backend canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8.1/configref/objects-ldif-backend.html section_ids: parent: Parent ldif_backend_properties: LDIF Backend properties basic_properties: Basic properties backend-id: backend-id base-dn: base-dn enabled: enabled is-private-backend: is-private-backend ldif-file: ldif-file writability-mode: writability-mode advanced_properties: Advanced properties java-class: java-class --- # LDIF Backend The LDIF Backend provides a mechanism for interacting with data stored in an LDIF file. All basic LDAP operations are supported in the LDIF backend, although it has minimal support for custom controls. ## Parent The LDIF Backend object inherits from [Local Backend](objects-local-backend.html). ## LDIF Backend properties You can use configuration expressions to set property values at startup time. For details, see [Property value substitution](expressions.html). | Basic Properties | Advanced Properties | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- | | [backend-id](#backend-id) [base-dn](#base-dn) [enabled](#enabled) [is-private-backend](#is-private-backend) [ldif-file](#ldif-file) [writability-mode](#writability-mode) | [java-class](#java-class) | ### Basic properties Use the `--advanced` option to access advanced properties. ### backend-id | | | | ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | *Synopsis* | Specifies a name to identify the associated backend. | | *Description* | The name must be unique among all backends in the server. The backend ID may not be altered after the backend is created in the server. | | *Default value* | None | | *Allowed values* | A string. | | *Multi-valued* | No | | *Required* | Yes | | *Admin action required* | NoneNo base entry has been created as part of this process. A base entry needs to be created before adding further entries to the backend. Please refer to the documentation to create a base entry. | | *Advanced* | No | | *Read-only* | Yes | ### base-dn | | | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | *Synopsis* | Specifies the base DN(s) for the data that the backend handles. | | *Description* | A single backend may be responsible for one or more base DNs. Note that no two backends may have the same base DN although one backend may have a base DN that is below a base DN provided by another backend (similar to the use of sub-suffixes in the Sun Java System Directory Server). If any of the base DNs is subordinate to a base DN for another backend, then all base DNs for that backend must be subordinate to that same base DN. | | *Default value* | None | | *Allowed values* | A valid DN. | | *Multi-valued* | Yes | | *Required* | Yes | | *Admin action required* | NoneNo administrative action is required by default although some action may be required on a per-backend basis before the new base DN may be used. | | *Advanced* | No | | *Read-only* | No | ### enabled | | | | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | *Synopsis* | Indicates whether the backend is enabled in the server. | | *Description* | If a backend is not enabled, then its contents are not accessible when processing operations. | | *Default value* | None | | *Allowed values* | truefalse | | *Multi-valued* | No | | *Required* | Yes | | *Admin action required* | None | | *Advanced* | No | | *Read-only* | No | ### is-private-backend | | | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | *Synopsis* | Indicates whether the backend should be considered a private backend, which indicates that it is used for storing operational data rather than user-defined information. | | *Default value* | false | | *Allowed values* | truefalse | | *Multi-valued* | No | | *Required* | No | | *Admin action required* | The object must be disabled and re-enabled for changes to take effect. | | *Advanced* | No | | *Read-only* | No | ### ldif-file | | | | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | *Synopsis* | Specifies the path to the LDIF file containing the data for this backend. | | *Default value* | None | | *Allowed values* | A path to an existing file that is readable (and/or writeable) by the server. | | *Multi-valued* | No | | *Required* | Yes | | *Admin action required* | The object must be disabled and re-enabled for changes to take effect. | | *Advanced* | No | | *Read-only* | No | ### writability-mode | | | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | *Synopsis* | Specifies the behavior that the backend should use when processing write operations. | | *Default value* | enabled | | *Allowed values* | * disabled: Causes all write attempts to fail. * enabled: Allows write operations to be performed in that backend (if the requested operation is valid, the user has permission to perform the operation, the backend supports that type of write operation, and the global writability-mode property is also enabled). * internal-only: Causes external write attempts to fail but allows writes by replication and internal operations. | | *Multi-valued* | No | | *Required* | Yes | | *Admin action required* | None | | *Advanced* | No | | *Read-only* | No | ## Advanced properties Use the `--advanced` option to access advanced properties. ### java-class | | | | ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | *Synopsis* | Specifies the fully-qualified name of the Java class that provides the backend implementation. | | *Default value* | org.opends.server.backends.LdifBackend | | *Allowed values* | A Java class that extends or implements:- org.opends.server.api.Backend | | *Multi-valued* | No | | *Required* | Yes | | *Admin action required* | The object must be disabled and re-enabled for changes to take effect. | | *Advanced* | Yes | | *Read-only* | No |