Not just a Directory but a complete Directory Service Sun Directory Services

We have become aware of a bug in Directory Server 6.2 only that could cause database integrity issues.   We have a hotfix for this issue, and if you are running Directory Server 6.2 and run into this problem then you should contact Sun Support and ask for the fix for the following bug

6642430: DB corruption (zero’d pages) when performing db2ldif against large 20GB ldif file.

The sunsolve record for this bug can be found at http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-1-6642430-1.

NOTE: This issue does not affect Directory Server 6.0 or 6.1 release so you only need this fix if you are running Directory Server 6.2.

After you have the hotfix for this issue on Directory Server 6.2 and have applied the hotfix, then you will have to re-initialize the database from an LDIF backup to fully correct the corruption issue. Simply applying the hotfix will not fix the database if the database is already corrupted. Database corruption can be present though not detected with data in binary formats. You must therefore rebuild the database by importing an LDIF backup.

Directory Server Enterprise Edition 6.2 is no longer available for download and Directory Server Enterprise Edition 6.3, which includes a fix for this issue, will be available for download early April.  When upgrading to Directory Server 6.3 from 6.2 (not needed if you are on 6.0 or 6.1), make sure you export the database (db2ldif) prior to the upgrade and then re-import the database after the upgrade to fully re-initialize the database and to ensure that no corruption issues remain.

Recommended patch or upgrade procedures:

1. Shut down each directory server instance, as described in Starting, Stopping, and Restarting a Directory Server Instance.

2. Perform an LDIF export of the database, as described in Backing Up to LDIF.

3. Install the hotfix for bug 6642430 on Directory Server 6.2, or upgrade your Directory Server 6.2 instance to Directory Server 6.3 once Directory Server 6.3 is available for download (early April). You will need to login to Sunsolve in order to see this bug description.
   

4. Re-initialize the database from the LDIF exported in step 2, as described in Importing Data From an LDIF File.

   If you are running replicated instances of Directory Server, make sure you read Restoring Replicated Suffixes as well.