---
name: "slapo-deref"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "openldap"
version: "2.7.2-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/slapo-deref"
---

# slapo-deref(5)

Dereference Control overlay to slapd

## NAME

slapo-deref - Dereference Control overlay to slapd

## SYNOPSIS

/etc/openldap/slapd.conf

- /etc/openldap/slapd.d

  ## DESCRIPTION

This overlay implements the draft Dereference control. The overlay can be used with any backend or globally for all backends.

## EXAMPLES

```
  database mdb
  ...
  overlay deref
```

Given these entries:

```
  dn: cn=Howard Chu,ou=people,dc=example,dc=org
  objectClass: inetOrgPerson
  cn: Howard Chu
  sn: Chu
  uid: hyc
  dn: cn=Pierangelo Masarati,ou=people,dc=example,dc=org
  objectClass: inetOrgPerson
  cn: Pierangelo Masarati
  sn: Masarati
  uid: ando
  dn: cn=Test Group,ou=groups,dc=example,dc=org
  objectClass: groupOfNames
  cn: Test Group
  member: cn=Howard Chu,ou=people,dc=example,dc=org
  member: cn=Pierangelo Masarati,ou=people,dc=example,dc=org
```

A search could be performed with a Dereference request control value specified as

```
  { member, uid }
```

I.e.,

```
  ldapsearch -x -b dc=example,dc=org -E 'deref=member:uid'
```

and the "cn=Test Group" entry would be returned with the response control value

```
  { { member, cn=Howard Chu,ou=people,dc=example,dc=org,
      { { uid, [hyc] } } },
    { member, cn=Pierangelo Masarati,ou=people,dc=example,dc=org,
      { { uid, [ando] } } } }
```

## FILES

- /etc/openldap/slapd.conf

  default slapd configuration file

- /etc/openldap/slapd.d

  default slapd configuration directory

## SEE ALSO

[**slapd.conf**(5)](/slapd.conf/5.md), [**slapd-config**(5)](/slapd-config/5.md).

"OpenLDAP Administrator's Guide" (http://www.OpenLDAP.org/doc/admin/)

IETF LDAP Dereference Control proposal by P. Masarati, H. Chu, in IETF document "draft-masarati-ldap-deref-00.txt".

## AUTHOR

Pierangelo Masarati