nTDSConnection object attributes

[Crístian Viana]

hi!

I'm implementing the creation of nTDSConnection objects during replication (
http://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Samba4_DRS_TODO_List#Create_connection_object_.28nTDSConnection.29)
and I have some questions about some of this object's attributes.

I'm working inside the function kccsrv_simple_update inside
source4/dsdb/kcc/kcc_periodic.c. below is the content of an existing
nTDSConnection object from a Windows 2008 server (the objects created on
Samba must have the same properties).

dn: CN=8f76f9cc-7a64-4269-b682-95f921294304,CN=NTDS
Settings,CN=NEOPOLIS,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=adinterop,DC=ltc,DC=virtual
objectClass: top
objectClass: leaf
objectClass: nTDSConnection
cn: 8f76f9cc-7a64-4269-b682-95f921294304
distinguishedName: CN=8f76f9cc-7a64-4269-b682-95f921294304,CN=NTDS
Settings,CN
 =NEOPOLIS,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=
 adinterop,DC=ltc,DC=virtual
instanceType: 4
whenCreated: 20091109171611.0Z
whenChanged: 20091109191613.0Z
uSNCreated: 12752
uSNChanged: 12814
showInAdvancedViewOnly: TRUE
name: 8f76f9cc-7a64-4269-b682-95f921294304
objectGUID: 18a77f06-054a-4b18-a6f0-42d1c9123cbe
enabledConnection: TRUE
fromServer: CN=NTDS
Settings,CN=SAMBA1,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-Name,C
 N=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=adinterop,DC=ltc,DC=virtual
schedule::
vAAAAAAAAAABAAAAAAAAABQAAAABAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQE
 BAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEB
 AQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBA
 QEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQE=
options: 1
systemFlags: 1610612736
objectCategory:
CN=NTDS-Connection,CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=adinterop,DC=
 ltc,DC=virtual
dSCorePropagationData: 16010101000000.0Z
mS-DS-ReplicatesNCReason:
B:8:00000008:CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=adinterop
 ,DC=ltc,DC=virtual
mS-DS-ReplicatesNCReason:
B:8:00000008:CN=Configuration,DC=adinterop,DC=ltc,DC
 =virtual
mS-DS-ReplicatesNCReason: B:8:00000008:DC=adinterop,DC=ltc,DC=virtual

here are the questions:

1) the "fromServer" attribute is the DN of the other server replicating with
the current one, right? I found Windows' GUID in r1->source_dsa_obj_guid,
but I'm not sure if that's the right information (maybe it's indicating
something else, even though it's the same GUID I'm interested at). should I
do an ldbsearch to get the Windows' DN based on that GUID?

2) the "schedule" attribute is a byte array with 84 positions which I think
is the one in r1->schedule. how do I add that value to the ldb_msg? I only
see the functions ldb_msg_add_string and ldb_msg_add_value; if it's a
string, how do I convert that array to the string representation that
ldbsearch has displayed? and if it's an ldb_val, how do I convert the array
to that struct?

3) what does the attribute "dSCorePropagationData" mean? from the MS
documentation, it says "The DS-Core-Propagation-Data attribute is for
internal use only."

4) does the "mS-DS-ReplicatesNCReason" attribute always happen 3 times?
there's only one instance of the nTDSConnection object on the Windows 2008,
and that's the only example I can compare to. according to
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms678640(VS.85).aspx, the value
"00000008" means STALE_SERVERS_TOPOLOGY. how do I find out what's the
replication topology for each case?

those are my doubts for now.

thanks!

-- 
Crístian Deives dos Santos Viana [aka CD1]