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Starting in Release 5.0.5, a Notes LDAP client and the ldapsearch utility can follow continuation references received from an LDAP server. Continuation references, part of the LDAP v3 protocol, allow an organization to distribute a directory tree across multiple directory servers. When an LDAP client specifies a search base when searching an LDAP server that is configured to hold continuation references, the server can return URLs that allow the search to continue to additional servers that potentially hold entries applicable to that search base.

For example, suppose the Acme organization distributes a directory tree over four servers: Server A has entries for "o=acme," Server B and C have entries for "o=acme,ou=people," and Server D has entries for "o=acme,ou=groups." Acme could configure Server A to hold continuation references for Servers B, C, and D. If a client then searched Server A for "cn=John Doe" using the search base "o=acme," Server A would return URLs for Servers B, C, and D.

Directory vendors don't necessarily use the term "continuation references"; for example, Netscape uses the term "Smart Referrals".

Note that the Domino LDAP service cannot return continuation references, only referrals. A referral is an alternate server address (along with that of usually one replica) that a directory server returns when its directory doesn't contain a search base specified by a client. A referral is a form of error message, while a continuation reference is a positive response indicating that one or more servers have to be traversed to complete a search.