7. Implementation Guidelines

7.1. Server Guidelines

Servers MUST recognize all names of attribute types and object classes defined in this document but, unless stated otherwise, need not support the associated functionality. Servers SHOULD recognize all the names of attribute types and object classes defined in Section 3 and 4, respectively, of [RFC4519].

Servers MUST ensure that entries conform to user and system schema rules or other data model constraints.

Servers MAY support DIT Content Rules. Servers MAY support DIT Structure Rules and Name Forms.

Servers MAY support alias entries.

Servers MAY support the 'extensibleObject' object class.

Servers MAY support subentries. If so, they MUST do so in accordance with [RFC3672]. Servers that do not support subentries SHOULD use object entries to mimic subentries as detailed in Section 3.2.

Servers MAY implement additional schema elements. Servers SHOULD provide definitions of all schema elements they support in subschema (sub)entries.

7.2. Client Guidelines

In the absence of prior agreements with servers, clients SHOULD NOT assume that servers support any particular schema elements beyond those referenced in Section 7.1. The client can retrieve subschema information as described in Section 4.4.

Clients MUST NOT display or attempt to decode a value as ASN.1 if the value's syntax is not known. Clients MUST NOT assume the LDAP- specific string encoding is restricted to a UTF-8 encoded string of Unicode characters or any particular subset of Unicode (such as a printable subset) unless such restriction is explicitly stated. Clients SHOULD NOT send attribute values in a request that are not valid according to the syntax defined for the attributes.