DXmodify returns "Unknown attribute" error when updating a custom attribute value.

Products

• CA Directory
• CA Security Command Center
• CA Data Protection (DataMinder)
• CA User Activity Reporting

Issue/Introduction

Description:

You may have designed your Directory by adding custom attributes to the existing schema of your DSA.
When you try to update a custom attribute value with DXmodify you will get an "Unknown attribute" error as the DXmodify tool is not aware of your custom schema.
You will not be able to update the custom attribute by using DXmodify alone.
For this to work successfully you will first need to use the DXschematxt tool which converts DXserver schema configuration files into a DXtools schema.txt file and then use dxmodify to modify the value of the custom attribute.

Solution:

The following example will help you to resolve the "Unknown attribute" error reported by DXmodify tool.

1. Open the DXHOME/servers/<dsaname.dxi>
   
   
2. Check for the schema files the dsa is sourcing.
   
   
   Eg.
   source "../schema/default.dxg";
   source "../schema/custom.dxc";
   
   
3. Run the following command
   % dxschematxt -Z mycustomschema.txt default.dxg custom.dxc
   The above command reads the schema from DXHOME/config/schema/default.dxg and DXHOME/config/schema/custom.dxc and create mycustomschema.txt file in the directory from where the command
   is being executed
   Alternatively,you can specify the complete path,if you want to create mycustomschema.txt file in another location
   
   
4. Run the original DXmodify command which reported the "Unknown attribute" error, but this time append "-Z mycustomschema.txt" to the command
   Eg.
   % dxmodify -h <hostname> -p <port> -f mods.ldi -Z mycustomschema.txt
   
   
5. The above command will be executed successfully without any errors
   
   
   Eg.
   % dxmodify -h <hostname> -p <port> -f mods.ldi -Z mycustomschema.txt
   modifying entry cn=Craig LINK,ou=Administration,ou=Corporate,o=DEMOCORP,c=AU

 

Environment

Release:
Component: ETRDIR