Is there any size limits for account attribute fields such as First Name, Last Name, and Full Name in the CA Identity Manager?

Products

• CA Identity Manager

Issue/Introduction

Is there any size limits for account attribute fields such as First Name, Last Name, and Full Name in the CA Identity Manager?

Environment

Release : 14.x
Component : Identity Manager

Resolution

In Identity Manager, the maximum allowed size for attributes such as First Name, Last Name, and Full Name is controlled via the “Maximum Length” property defined in the directory schema.

Within the directory configuration (e.g., directory.xml), each managed attribute can specify a Maximum Length value:

If set to 0, the attribute has no fixed length limit.
If set to a number > 0, The number specifies the maximum number of characters allowed for the attribute.

Important Notes:
There are no universal defaults for attributes like First Name, Last Name, or Full Name. Their limits depend entirely on your configuration.

If the value is left undefined or set to 0, users may enter unusually long names — which could cause issues with backend systems (e.g., Active Directory, databases, connectors) that may enforce their own length restrictions or error out with oversized values.

Recommended Best Practices:
Define practical limits for each attribute based on organizational needs and system compatibility:

First Name: Up to 50 characters
Last Name: Up to 50 characters
Full Name: Between 100–200 characters (depending on context)

When setting these limits, consider the following factors:
Constraints of external systems (e.g., Active Directory’s displayName is limited to 64 characters)
System performance
User experience

Establishing reasonable constraints helps ensure consistency, prevents integration failures, and supports a smoother user experience across connected systems.