| Previous | Next |
| ERROR_DS_CANT_MOVE_RESOURCE_GROUP | ERROR_DS_NO_TREE_DELETE_ABOVE_NC |
ERROR_DS_INVALID_SEARCH_FLAG
Search flags affect indexing, confidentiality, deletion, and query scope
ERROR_DS_INVALID_SEARCH_FLAG means the bitmask supplied in searchFlags violates an Active Directory schema rule. The field is not a generic tuning value: bits can request ordinary, tuple, or subtree indexes, participate in ambiguous-name resolution, preserve values on deletion, mark confidentiality, restrict an attribute to base-scope reads, or classify protected partition secrets.
Decode the numeric value into named bits and validate each one against the attribute syntax, cardinality, linked-attribute status, functional level, and security role. For example, some indexing flags apply only to suitable string or single-valued attributes, while several flags are ignored or prohibited for link attributes and protected base-schema fields. Measure query requirements before adding indexes; a syntactically legal flag can still increase database size and update cost across every writable domain controller.
What to record from the proposed schema change
- Complete hexadecimal searchFlags value.
- Attribute syntax and isSingleValued setting.
- linkID, systemFlags, and schema base-object status.
- Search workload that supposedly requires the flag.
References
- MS-ADTS: valid searchFlags bits and restrictions
- Microsoft: attribute search and indexing characteristics
- MS-ADTS: safety checks for protected search flags
Looking for a different code? Search another status or error code.