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Asked: 2026-06-09T02:43:43+00:00

I’m toying with using server side sorting in my OpenLDAP server. However as I

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I’m toying with using server side sorting in my OpenLDAP server. However as I also get to write the client code I can see that all it buys me is in this case one line of sorting code at the client. And as the client is one of presently 4, soon to be 16 Tomcats, maybe hundreds if the usage balloons, sorting at the client actually makes more sense to me. I’m wondering whether SSS is really considered much of an idea. My search results in the case aren’t larger, dozens rather than hundreds. Just wondering whether it might be more of a weapon than a tool.

In OpenLDAP it is bundled with VLV – Virtual List View, which I will need some day, so it is already installed: so it’s really a programming question, not just a configuration question, hence SO not SF.

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  1. Editorial Team

    Server-side sorting is intended for use by clients that are unable or unwilling to sort results themselves; this might be useful in hand-held clients with limited memory and CPU mojo.

    The advantages of server-side sorting include, but not limited to:

    • the server can enforce a time limit on the processing of the sorting
    • clients can specify an ordering rule for the server to use
    • professional-quality servers can be configured to reject requests with sort controls attached if the client connection is not secure
    • the server can enforce resource limits, for example, the aforementioned time limit, or administration limits
    • the server can enforce access restrictions on the attributes and on the sort request control itself; this may not be that effective if the client can retrieve the attributes anyway
    • the server may indicate it is too busy to perform the sort or simply unwilling to perform the sort
    • professional-quality servers can be configured to reject search requests for all clients except for clients with the necessary mojo (privilege, bind DN, IP address, or whatever)

    The disadvantages include, but not limited to:

    • servers can be overwhelmed by sorting large result sets from multiple clients if the server software is unable to cap the number of sorts to process simultaneously
    • client-side APIs have to support the server-side sort request control and response
    • it might be easier to configure clients to sort by their own ‘ordering rules’; although these can be added to professional-quality, extensible servers
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