Files that contain LDAP instructions that manipulate directory information. Before the LDAP commands in an LDIF file are carried out, they can be read or modified, providing an opportunity for fine-tuning. See also: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
The LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF) is a standard data interchange format for representing (LDAP) directory content as well as directory update (Add, Modify, Delete, Rename) requests. LDAP is an acronym for "Lightweight Directory Access Protocol". It conveys directory content as a set of records, one record for each object (or entry).