When you're looking to find something fast in an LDAP directory, it's recommended you use the Quick Search tool. Located just above the application's result panes, the Quick Search Bar is easy to access at any time you might need it. You can toggle the bar on/off the screen by clicking
Quick Search Bar on the Entry toolbar. A quick search can only involve LDAP entries, so in case you have any other element selected, the bar will hide automatically.
Performing Quick SearchTo perform a quick search:
Select an entry which you'd like to search down from.
Click
Quick Search Bar on the Entry toolbar to display the bar.
In the Find what box, type a keyword or phrase you are looking for in attribute values, or click the arrow on the Find what box to use any of the keywords previously used. Sometimes you may face the need to search for a value knowing just a part of it. This can be accomplished with the help of the asterisk ('*') wildcard serving as a replacement for the unknown part. For example: *photo*, jpeg*, jpegph*o.
Specify the attributes to be searched by clicking the arrow on the Search in box and checking the attribute groups you are interested in.
Click Find to start searching. The process may take some time, but pressing Stop will abort the search operation at any moment.
Configuring Quick SearchThe Quick Search tool is easily customizable with its parameters like search scope, referrals handling mode, results paging mode all capable of being adjusted. Besides, you can even edit the automatically generated LDAP filter.
Changing Search Scope
Search all descendants button on the Quick Search Bar. If the button is unchecked, the search will be done inside just a single sub-level (child entries only) of a currently selected entry, otherwise all its descendant entries will be processed.
Changing Referrals Handling Mode
Properties on the Standard toolbar.
There are three modes for handling referrals:
None: Referrals will not be processed.
Opaque: Referrals encountered during search will be processed and all sub-entries that satisfy the search criteria, including ones of the referral, will be displayed in results.
Manual: All referrals that satisfy the search criteria will be displayed as search result items with none of their sub-entries displayed in results.
Changing Paging Policy
Properties on the Standard toolbar.
By default, the paging mode for the search node is set to None, which means that all the search results will not be paged and will be represented 'as is'. Learn more about managing large numbers of entries.
Caution
Results paging may not work when searching under RootDSE.
Browsing Quick Search ResultsAll quick search results are represented as items of the search node displayed under the currently selected entry after you press Find on the Quick Search Bar. This view implies that one can perform all kinds of operations with search items, just like you do with other application tree elements.
Each value of a search result item contains a full DN of the entry it refers to, which helps you distinguish between entries having equal RDNs. To locate an entry which a search result item belongs to in a directory tree, just double-click the item.
The search node is a singleton element, meaning that after you do a search, all the results retrieved during the previous search operation are cleared with the previous search node deleted provided the selected entry element has changed.
Exporting Quick Search ResultsTo export quick search results:
Do a search using the Quick Search tool.
Make sure that the search node displayed upon your pressing Find on the Quick Search Bar is currently selected.
Click
Export Data on the Entry toolbar, or use the same command from the context menu for the search node. Learn more about exporting data.