1. An apparatus comprising: a rule validator of an attribute rule enforcer for a directory, wherein the rule validator is interposed between a client and a directory access server for providing access to the directory, the rule validator is configured to determine whether an attribute of a client request complies with a first rule governing content of data that is permissible to be forwarded to the directory access server and a second rule governing structure of data that is permissible to be forwarded to the directory access server, the rule validator is further configured to forward the request to the directory access server when the attribute complies with the first rule and the second rule and being further configured to reject the request to the directory access server and return an error message to a source of the request when the attribute does not comply with the first rule and the second rule, the rule validator is further configured to reply to a beacon signal received from a master rule validator, and the rule validator is further configured to issue a kill signal to a master rule validator in response to an indication the master rule validator has stopped functioning; and a configuration file for use by said rule validator, the configuration file containing a plurality of parameters corresponding to the first and second rules.