Specifies an identifier of an object. A common name is not a complete NDS name; it is a name by which an object is commonly known in a particular context, such as within an organization.
For help in understanding the attribute definition template, see Reading NDS Attribute Type Definitions.
For all the object classes that this attribute is defined for, this attribute is mandatory. Through inheritance, this attribute becomes mandatory for all classes subordinated to these classes.
The user, typically the administrator, who creates the object chooses the value for this attribute, subject to the guidelines the organization defines for naming new objects. By default, an object does not have rights to rename itself; thus, an object has no control over its own name. A common name is not necessarily unique in an NDS tree and can admit ambiguity within its limited scope.
Common names are usually derived from the object’s complete name. For example, a typical complete name for a person in an English-speaking country may comprise a personal title (Mr., Ms., Dr., Professor, Sir, Lord, and so on), a first name, middle names, a last name, a generational qualifier (Jr., Sr., and so on) and decorations and awards. This type of person would have a complete name that looks like the following:
Mr. Robin Lachlan Smith BSc (Hons) CEng MIEE
Often the first initial of the first name and the last name are used to create the person’s common name. Using this convention, Mr. Robin Smith might have the common name of rsmith.
Common names are leaf object names, are usually short, and conform to the naming conventions of the country or culture with which they are associated. The User object class has attributes for the components of the complete name. See the following attributes: Full Name, Generational Qualifier, Given Name, Initials, Surname, Title.
Variant names are associated with a named object as separate and alternative attribute values. Common variant names should be made available (for example, the use of a middle name as a preferred first name or the use of “Bill” in place of “William”).
An LDAP schema query requires extensions to return the NDS attribute constraints.