Configuration of LDAP contact search

Last Updated : Jun 10, 2026 |

You can use Avaya Aura® Device Services to configure contact search rules in LDAP directories for Avaya Workplace Client. You can do the following:

  • If you have multiple LDAP directories in your deployment, select which LDAP directories are used for the contact search.

  • Specify which additional base context DNs to use for the contact search.

  • Limit the contact search scope to the group or department of a user that performs the search operation.

These search rules apply both to Avaya Workplace Client normal search and to quick search.

Avaya Aura® Device Services uses the Organizational Unit (OU) attribute to determine whether the user belongs to a group or department.

The impact of the contact search scope on the contact search on System Manager

In an Avaya Aura® environment, Avaya Aura® Device Services performs the contact search on System Manager differently depending on whether the search scope is limited to a user's own group or department.

Note:

In an environment without Avaya Aura®, Avaya Aura® Device Services does not perform the contact search on System Manager.

When the search is performed in all groups or departments, Avaya Aura® Device Services performs the search in parallel both in LDAP directories and on System Manager. Avaya Aura® Device Services then displays all the results that match the search criteria.

When the search scope is limited to the user's own group or department, Avaya Aura® Device Services performs the search in LDAP directories first and then on System Manager as follows:

  1. Avaya Aura® Device Services searches for contacts that match the search criteria in the LDAP directories and then displays found contacts.

  2. After the search in the LDAP directories completes, Avaya Aura® Device Services retrieves email addresses of the found contacts.

  3. Avaya Aura® Device Services searches for contacts on System Manager using these email addresses as a search criteria and then displays found contacts.

For example, an LDAP directory contains a contact with the UserName name and the address@example.com email address. System Manager contains a contact with the same name, whose email address is anotherAddress@example.com. If a client searches for UserName, Avaya Aura® Device Services finds a user with this name in LDAP and then uses the user's email address, address@example.com, to search for contacts on System Manager. Since System Manager does not contain a user with the address@example.com email address, Avaya Aura® Device Services only displays the contact found in the LDAP directory in the search results.