Superseded by a more recent version ISO/IEC 9594-2 : 1995 (E)
8 ITU-T Rec. X.501 (1993 E) Superseded by a more recent version
SECTION 3 – MODEL OF DIRECTORY USER INFORMATION
7 Directory Information Base
7.1 Definitions
For the purposes of this Directory Specification, the following definitions apply:
7.1.1 alias entry: An entry of the class “alias” containing information used to provide an alternative name for an
object or alias entry.
7.1.2 direct superclass: Relative to a subclass – an object class from which the subclass is directly derived.
7.1.3 directory information base (DIB): The complete set of information to which the Directory provides access,
and which includes all of the pieces of information which can be read or manipulated using the operations of the
Directory.
7.1.4 directory information tree (DIT): The DIB considered as a tree, whose vertices (other than the root) are the
Directory entries.
NOTE – The term DIT is used instead of DIB only in contexts where the tree structure of the information is relevant.
7.1.5 (directory) entry: A named collection of information within the DIB. The DIB is composed of entries.
7.1.6 immediate superior (noun): Relative to a particular entry or object (it shall be clear from the context which is
intended), the immediately superior entry or object.
7.1.7 immediately superior
7.1.8 (entry): Relative to a particular entry – an entry which is at the initial vertex of an arc in the DIT whose final
vertex is that of the particular entry.
7.1.9 (object): Relative to a particular object – an object whose object entry is the immediate superior of any of the
entries (object or alias) for the second object.
7.1.10 object (of interest): Anything in some ‘world’, generally the world of telecommunications and information
processing or some part thereof, which is identifiable (can be named), and which it is of interest to hold information on
in the DIB.
7.1.11 object class: An identified family of objects (or conceivable objects) which share certain characteristics.
7.1.12 object entry: An entry which is the primary collection of information in the DIB about an object, and which
can therefore be said to represent that object in the DIB.
7.1.13 subclass: Relative to one or more superclasses – an object class derived from one or more superclasses. The
members of the subclass share all the characteristics of the super classes and additional characteristics possessed by none
of the members of those superclasses.
7.1.14 subordinate: The converse of superior.
7.1.15 superclass: Relative to a subclass – a direct superclass, or superclass to an object class that is a direct
superclass (recursively).
7.1.16 superior: (Applying to entry or object) immediately superior, or superior to one which is immediately superior
(recursively).
7.2 Objects
The purpose of the Directory is to hold, and provide access to, information about objects of interest (objects) which exist
in some ‘world’. An object can be anything in that world which is identifiable (can be named).
NOTES
1 The ‘world’ is generally that of telecommunications and information processing or some part thereof.
2 The objects known to the Directory may not correspond exactly with the set of ‘real’ things in the world. For
example, a real-world person may be regarded as two different objects, a business person and a residential person, as far as the
Directory is concerned. The mapping is not defined in this Directory Specification, but is a matter for the users and providers of the
Directory in the context of their applications.