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How Aliases Affect DIT Searches

When you search a directory information tree that includes aliases, the results depend on the base object, the search scope, and whether aliases are dereferenced during navigating and searching.

The search alias control does not affect the base object of the search, but does determine if an alias entry can be returned in the results of a search. This can have some peculiar effects, especially with base-object searches.

When a directory receives a search request, the directory navigates to the base object that is defined in the request. A base object is the entry from which the search is run. After the directory locates the base object, the search is performed from that location.

If the base object is an alias, the search may request that the alias be dereferenced. An alias entry is dereferenced if, during a search, the entry the alias points to is used as the base object rather than the alias itself.

When the directory has located the base object and dereferenced it (if requested), the search is performed. A search may return any number of alias entries. These alias entries may also be dereferenced.