Attribute Is Identified by Its Object Identifier and Not by Its Name (262783)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Metadirectory Services 2.1
  • Microsoft Metadirectory Services 2.2
This article was previously published under Q262783

SYMPTOMS

When you use Compass to view all the attributes of a metaverse object, a particular attribute is not identified by its name. Instead, it is identified by its object identifier.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if any of the following scenarios have taken place:

  • An object, OBJ, has been successfully written to the directory.
  • The object, OBJ, contains an "X" attribute.
  • The attribute definition for "X" has been subsequently deleted from the directory.
  • An attempt is made to display the name and value of the "X" attribute in the "OBJ" object.
An attribute definition contains both an OID value and an alphabetic (human-readable) name. For example, the following attribute definition from the file "\Zoomserv\Data\Attribs\Db5attr.oid" defines the attribute "zcEmployeeNumber". This attribute has an OID value of "2.16.128.113533.1.508".

zcEmployeeNumber ph 2.16.128.113533.1.508 * * * T61String S * CaselessExact

When attributes are contained in directory objects, only the attribute's OID string is stored in the object. Later, when attributes are referenced, the individual OID values are de-referenced by looking up the alpabetic name in the attribute definition. This occurs in the same way that IP addresses are translated into human-readable form through a reverse DNS lookup.

RESOLUTION

Because the attribute definition has been removed from the directory, it is assumed that the attribute is not longer needed. Therefore, you must remove these attributes from the affected metadirectory objects. To do this, follow these steps:
  1. Find the exact object identifier that was originally assigned to the attribute.
  2. Start Compass, insert a new attribute object. Give the attribute a name, for example, JUNK. It is recommended that you place the attribute definition under the ZAN=zc,F=Attributes node, directly beneath the Directory Services Agent (DSA) object.

    NOTE: Verify that the new object has the same object identifier that is described in step one.
  3. In the advanced attribute script for the Management Agent (MA) that originally populated this attribute, set the value of this attribute to null, for example, $JUNK=$null. When you add this value, the JUNK attribute is deleted from the metaverse records. You can also make similar assignments in the $cd or $cs objects if the attribute was assigned in these objects.
  4. Run the MA. This action deletes all the rogue attributes.
  5. Verify that the rogue object identifier has been deleted.
  6. Remove the line for the JUNK attribute from the advanced attribute flow template.
  7. Delete the JUNK attribute definition from the directory.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/25/2006
Keywords:kbenv kbprb KB262783
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