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ERROR_DS_NOT_AN_OBJECT
The name resolves to a phantom tracking object, not an LDAP entry
Active Directory phantoms are internal database tracking objects used for references to objects in other domains or contexts. Microsoft documents that they cannot be viewed through normal LDAP or ADSI. A name can therefore participate in internal referential tracking without identifying a normal directory object on which a client operation can run.
Do not try to repair this by creating a visible object at the same DN immediately. First identify the reference that led to the phantom and the real target object, including its objectGUID and owning domain. Infrastructure-master and cross-domain reference behavior can matter. The diagnostic question is why application logic is treating an internal reference representation as a writable entry.
What to inspect
- Trace the source attribute or operation that supplied the object reference.
- Resolve the real target in its owning domain and compare objectGUID.
- Distinguish phantom reference tracking from deleted-object or lingering-object states.
References
- Microsoft: phantoms, tombstones, and the infrastructure master
- MS-ADTS: object references and referential integrity
- MS-ADTS: objectGUID and special attribute behavior
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