Need some warning on LDAP upgrades!

[Tim Alberts]

Jason L Tibbitts III wrote:
> Yes, this happened to me as well, and caused quite a bit of trouble
> because it didn't just kill the server (which would have been OK
> because I have multiple servers).  Instead it loaded an nice empty
> database and proceeded to serve that.  Sadly, I had tested the update
> that sat in the testing repository and warned that it shouldn't be put
> out, but after some months it was pushed anyway.
>   

This is precisely what happened to my server.  The database was gone, 
the server was still running.  For those who mentioned, yes all my 
databases are backed up regularly.  I've been running networks long 
enough to know that rule.  The system was quickly restored once I 
realized the problem, but that ten minutes of phones ringing off the 
hook from clients wanting to know why they can't get email etc.

I will add, that rather than copying database directories as was 
suggested, I use an export to LDIF and import from LDIF as follows:

Export:
ldapsearch -x > database.ldif

Import:
ldapadd -x -D "cn=Manager,dc=mydomain,dc=com" -W -f database.ldif

This way the database is backed up in a general ldif file that I believe 
is standard for LDAP servers, not just openldap.