ARCHITECTURE AND ASSOCIATED METHODS FOR PROVIDING USERS OF ADISTRIBUTED SERVICES WITH AN INTERACTIVE DIRECTORY OF NETWORKCONTENT

• US 20020124082A1
• Filed: 08/24/1998
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: David S. Sanderman, Ramon J. San Andres, Sean P. Nolan
• Inventors: NOLAN, SEAN P., SAN ANDRES, RAMON J., SANDERMAN, DAVID S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,901,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A distributed directory service for an on-line services network comprises multiple, separate services, referred to as “Directory Service Providers,” running on respective groups of application servers. Each Directory Service Provider stores and provides access to a respective hierarchical directory structure, with nodes of the directory structures representing the various on-line services and other content entities which may be accessed by end users of the network. Junction point nodes are used to provide user-transparent links between the different directory structures, so that the directory structures appear to end users as a single, hierarchical directory. A common application program interface (API) is implemented by all Directory Service Providers, allowing client applications running on computers of end users to access the different directory structures using a common set of software methods. Data items that are shared by multiple nodes, such as icon bitmaps and sound files, are optionally stored by the Directory Service Providers within a shared database (separately from the nodes), and are accessed via special API methods. Various forms of node filtering, including language-based filtering and access rights filtering, are performed by the Directory Service Providers to determine which nodes to show to end users.

Claims

1. A directory service for a computer network, comprising:

a first service application running on a first group of application servers to implement a first service, said first service storing a first plurality of content nodes that represent a first plurality of content entities of said computer network, said first plurality of content entities accessible to users of said computer network via said first service;

a second service application running on a second group of application servers to implement a second service, said second service storing a second plurality of content nodes that represent a second plurality of content entities of said computer network, said second plurality of content entities accessible to said users of said computer network via said second service; and

an interface that links said first service to said second service to provide an integrated directory service.

2. A directory service according to claim 1, wherein said first and second pluralities of content nodes represent on-line services and associated data entities of an on-line services network.

3. A directory service according to claim 1, wherein said interface comprises a junction point node, said junction point node being one of said first plurality of content nodes, said junction point node comprising a reference to a corresponding node of said second plurality of content nodes.

4. A directory service according to claim 3, wherein said junction point node provides a user-transparent link from said first service to said second service.

5. A directory service according to claim 3, wherein said junction point node serves as a proxy for said corresponding node.

6. A directory service according to claim 1, wherein each node of said first and second pluralities of content nodes comprises a respective list of node properties.

7. A directory service according to claim 6, wherein said list comprises a set of required properties that are required of all content nodes of the directory service.

8. A directory service according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said content nodes includes a service-specific property, said service-specific property corresponding to a particular on-line service other than said first service or said second service.

9. A directory service according to claim 1, wherein said first and second service applications provide access to said first and second pluralities of content nodes, respectively, via a common application program interface (API).

10. A directory service according to claim 9, wherein said API returns properties of said first and second pluralities of content nodes in response to requests from client applications.

11. A directory service according to claim 10, wherein at least some of said requests comprise language filters, and wherein said first and second services apply said language filters to determine which content nodes to return to said client applications.

12. A directory service according to claim 10, wherein at least some of said requests comprise geographic region filters, and wherein said first and second services apply said geographic region filters to determine which content nodes to return to said client applications.

13. A directory service according to claim 10, wherein at least some of said requests comprise variable-length lists of property names, and wherein said API returns properties to said client applications according to said variable-length lists, said API thereby conserving bandwidth over communications channels which link said client applications to said directory service by returning only those properties specifically requested by said client applications.

14. A directory service according to claim 1, wherein said first plurality of content nodes is arranged by said first service within a first acyclic graph structure, and wherein said second plurality of content nodes is arranged by said second service within a second acyclic graph structure.

15. A directory service according to claim 14, further comprising a client application configured to run on a computer of a user, said client application configured to send requests to said first and second services for properties of said first and second pluralities of content nodes, said client application further configured to receive said properties from said first and second services and to reconstruct said first and second acyclic graph structures on a screen of said computer.

16. A directory service according to claim 15, wherein said client application is configured to reconstruct said first and second acyclic graph structures on said screen as a single, integrated graph structure, so that said user sees a single heirarchical directory of said first and second pluralities of content entities.

17. A directory service according to claim 1, wherein said first group of application servers comprises a first plurality of applications servers, and wherein said second group of application servers comprises a second plurality of applications servers.

18. A directory service according to claim 17, wherein each node of said first plurality of content nodes is stored on each server of said first plurality of application servers, and wherein each node of said second plurality of content nodes is stored on each server of said second plurality of application servers.

19. A directory service according to claim 17, wherein said application servers of said first and second groups are interconnected by a local area network.

20. A directory service according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said content nodes includes an icon identifier, said icon identifier referencing a bitmap of an icon for said at least one content node, said icon bitmap stored separately from said at least one content node.

21. A directory service according to claim 1, wherein said first service implements a remote properties cache, said remote properties cache storing node properties received from a remote service, said remote service implemented on a separate group of application servers from said first group of application servers, said remote properties stored in said cache in association with individual nodes of said first plurality of content nodes.

22. A directory service according to claim 21, wherein said first service generates requests to said remote service for said remote properties in response to requests from client applications.

23. A directory service according to claim 21, wherein said first service periodically deletes node properties from said remote properties cache so that property data stored in said cache is up-to-date.

24. A directory service according to claim 1, wherein said first service provides a general-purpose directory service which stores content nodes of multiple different on-line services, and wherein said second service provides a service-specific directory service which stores content nodes of a single on-line service.

25. A directory service according to claim 1, wherein at least some content nodes of said first plurality of content nodes represent content entities stored on application servers other than said application servers of said first and second groups.

26. A directory service according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of shared data items stored on said first group of application servers separate from said first plurality of nodes, each of said shared data items being shared by multiple nodes of said first plurality of content nodes, said shared data items downloadable via said first service to computers of said users.

27. A directory service according to claim 26, wherein said shared data items comprise at least one of:

icon bitmaps, sound files, banner objects, and download-and-run files.

28. A directory service according to claim 26, wherein at least some nodes of said first plurality of content nodes comprise shared data item identifiers which identify individual ones of said shared data items.

30. A directory service according to claim 29, wherein said integrated hierarchical directory structure is a directed acyclic graph.

31. A directory service according to claim 29, wherein each of said junction nodes serves as a proxy within one hierarchical directory structure for a corresponding content node of a different hierarchical directory structure.

32. A directory service according to claim 29, wherein each of said junction nodes provides user-transparent link between two of said hierarchical directory structures.

33. A directory service according to claim 29, further comprising an application program interface (API) for allowing client applications to navigate and access said content nodes stored by said plurality of different services using a common set of API methods, said API implemented at least in-part by each of said plurality of different service applications.

34. A directory service according to claim 29, wherein said content nodes stored by said plurality of different services represent on-line services and associated data entities of an on-line services network.

35. A directory service according to claim 29, further comprising a client application configured to allow a user to interactively navigate said integrated hierarchical directory structure via a graphical user interface.

36. A directory service according to claim 35, wherein said client application comprises a plurality of navigation modules corresponding, respectively, to said plurality of different services.

38. A method according to claim 37, further comprising the step of periodically deleting remote properties stored in said remote properties cache to thereby ensure that said remote properties cache is up-to-date.

39. A method according to claim 37, wherein said on-line service is implemented on a separate server from said application server.

29. A distributed directory service for providing users of a computer network with a hierarchical directory of content entities on said network, comprising:

a plurality of different service applications running on a plurality of different groups of application servers to implement a plurality of different services, each of said services storing a respective plurality of content nodes within a respective hierarchical directory structure; and

a plurality of junction nodes stored on said plurality of application servers, said junction nodes linking content nodes of different hierarchical directory structures to thereby form an integrated hierarchical directory structure.

37. A method of providing a directory to a content entity of an on-line services network, said content entity corresponding to an on-line service, said method comprising the steps of comprising:

storing a list of local properties of said content entity on an application server as a node of a hierarchical directory structure, said list of properties including a textual description of said content entity;

providing a remote properties cache on said application server, said remote properties cache for temporarily storing remote properties of said node, said remote properties provided by said on-line service; and

at said application server, receiving a request from a client application for a property of said node, and in response to said request, doing each of;

(a) when said property is stored on said application server, retrieving said property and returning said property to said client application, and

(b) when said property is not stored on said application server, calling said on-line service to obtain said property and storing said property in said remote properties cache.

40. A directory service for a computer network, comprising:

a plurality of nodes stored within a hierarchical directory structure on at least one application server, said plurality of nodes representing and providing access to a plurality of on-line services, each node of said plurality of nodes comprising a respective list of properties;

a service application running on said at least one application server, said service application configured to return said properties of said plurality of nodes in response to requests from client applications running on client computers of users of said network, said client computers connected to said at least one application server via a wide area network; and

an application program interface (API) provided by said service application, said API passing a variable-length list of property identifiers from a client application to said service application, said API thereby allowing said client applications to specify particular properties to be returned by said service application.

41. A directory service according to claim 40, wherein said API further passes a language filter from said client application to said service application to thereby allow said client applications to limit properties returned by said service application to properties of nodes of user-specified languages.

42. A directory service according to claim 40, wherein said API further passes a geographic region filter from said client application to said service application to thereby allow said client applications to limit properties returned by said service application to properties of nodes of user-specified geographic regions.

43. A directory service according to claim 40, further comprising a plurality of shared data items stored on said at least one application server separate from said plurality of nodes, each of said shared data items being shared by multiple nodes of said plurality of nodes, said shared data items being downloadable to said client computers via said API.

44. A directory service according to claim 43, wherein said shared data items comprise at least one of:

icon bitmaps, sound files, banner objects, and download-and-run files.

46. A method according to claim 45, wherein said filter comprises a user-specified list of language identifiers which identify languages of said content items.

47. A method according to claim 45, wherein said filter comprises a user-specified list of geographic regions corresponding to said content items.

48. A method according to claim 45, wherein said content nodes represent on-line services and associated data entities of an on-line services network.

49. A method according to claim 45, wherein said request contains a list of identifiers of properties to be returned, said list specifying, on a single-property-basis, which properties of said content nodes of said subgroup are returned.

45. A method of limiting directory information provided to users of a computer network, said directory information stored as a plurality of content nodes which represent a plurality of user-accessible content items of said network, each node comprising a list of properties, said content nodes arranged within a hierarchical directory structure, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a client computer, said request directly or indirectly identifying a group of content nodes of said plurality of content nodes, said request containing a filter which indicates one or more categories of content nodes to be returned to said client computer, said filter specified by a user of said client computer;

applying said filter to said group of content nodes to identify a subgroup of content nodes, said step of applying comprising comparing said filter to properties of said content nodes of said group; and

returning properties of said content nodes of said subgroup to said client computer to provide said user with a filtered view of said hierarchical directory structure.

50. In a computer network in which different users have different access rights with respect to different content entities, a method of providing users with a filtered directory of content entities, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a plurality of content nodes within a hierarchical directory structure on at least one server, each of said content nodes comprising a respective list of properties, said content nodes representing and providing access to said content entities;

(b) receiving requests at said server for said content nodes, said requests generated on a client computer of a user of said network;

(c) for each content node requested in step (b), doing each of

(i) determining whether said user is authorized to access said content node, and

(ii) returning properties of said content node to said client computer if and only if said user is authorized to access said content node; and

(d) using said properties returned in step (c) to construct a filtered hierarchical directory structure on a screen of said client computer.

51. The method according to claim 50, wherein said step of determining comprises reading a security property of said content node, said security property identifying a content category of which said content node is a member.

52. The method according to claim 51, wherein said step of determining further comprises using an account identifier of said user to determine whether said user is authorized to access said content category.

53. The method according to claim 50, wherein said requests for said content nodes comprise requests for all children nodes of a current node.

54. A node of a hierarchical directory structure, said node stored on an application server of an on-line services network, said node representing a service entity which may be accessed by users of said network via client applications running on client computers, said node comprising:

a first property stored within a memory of said application server, said first property comprising a textual description of said content entity; and

a second property stored within said memory of said application server, said second property identifying a service application corresponding to said service entity, said service application providing user access to said service entity.

55. A node according to claim 54, further comprising a remote properties cache on said application server, said remote properties cache temporarily storing at least one remote property of said node, said at least one remote property generated remotely by said service application.

56. A node according to claim 54, further comprising a third property stored within said memory of said application server, said third property specifying a security category of said node.

57. A node according to claim 54, further comprising a third property stored within said memory of said application server, said third property specifying at least one language of said node.

58. A node according to claim 54, further comprising a third property stored within said memory of said application server, said third property specifying at least one geographic region to which said node applies.

59. A node according to claim 54, further comprising a third property stored within said memory of said application server, said third property specifying a downloadable icon bitmap which corresponds to said node.

60. A node according to claim 54, further comprising a third property stored within said memory of said application server, said third property specifying a downloadable sound file which corresponds to said node, said sound file specifying sounds generated on said client computers in association with said node.

61. A node according to claim 54, further comprising a third property stored within said memory of said application server, said third property specifying a download-and-run file which corresponds to said node.

62. A node according to claim 54, further comprising a third property stored within said memory of said application server, said third property specifying a downloadable banner object which corresponds to said node.

63. A node according to claim 54, further comprising a third property stored within said memory of said application server, said third property specifying at least one parent node of said node.

64. A node according to claim 54, further comprising a third property stored within said memory of said application server, said third property specifying a content rating of said service entity.

65. A node according to claim 54, further comprising a third property stored within said memory of said application server, said third property specifying a price associated with accessing said service entity.

66. A method of downloading an icon from a directory service of an on-line services network to a client computer of a user, said icon corresponding to at least one node of a hierarchical directory structure in which multiple nodes can share a common icon, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) sending a request for an icon identifier for said node from said client computer to said directory service, said icon identifier stored by said directory service as a property of said node;

(b) returning said icon identifier from said directory service to said client computer in response to said request;

(c) at said client computer, comparing said icon identifier returned in step (b) to a list of identifiers of icons stored on said client computer to determine whether said icon of said node is stored on said client computer; and

(d) when, based on said comparison of step (c), said icon is not stored on said client computer, sending a request to said directory service for said icon.

67. The method according to claim 66, further comprising the step of:

(e) in response to said request of step (d), accessing a shared database of said directory service to obtain said icon, said shared database containing icons shared by multiple different nodes of said hierarchical directory structure.

68. The method according to claim 66, wherein said icon of said node comprises a bitmap.