Scoped metadata

• US 20030074367A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shewchuk, John P., Kaler, Christopher G., Box, Donald, Langworthy, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/34 Source routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/566 Routing instructions carried by the data packet, e.g. active networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Methods, systems, and data structures for communicating object metadata are provided. A generic metadata container is presented that allows object metadata to be described in an extensible manner using protocol-neutral and platform-independent methodologies. A metadata scope refers to a dynamic universe of targets to which the included metadata statements correspond. Metadata properties provide a mechanism to describe the metadata itself, and metadata security can be used to ensure authentic metadata is sent and received. Mechanisms are also provided to allow refinement and replacement of metadata statements. Communication of metadata is expedited using hash digests to confirm metadata versions, and by piggybacking policy metadata requests and responses on other substantive data communication messages, thereby dynamically altering future communications.

Claims

1. A data structure stored on a computer readable medium, comprising:

a first data field containing at least one metadata statement; and

a second data field containing a metadata scope that defines a range of objects to which the at least one metadata statement refers.

2. The data structure of claim 1, further comprising:

a third data field containing at least one metadata property corresponding to the at least one metadata statement.

3. The data structure of claim 1, further comprising:

a third data field containing security data corresponding to the at least one metadata statement.

4. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the metadata scope corresponds to a plurality of objects.

5. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the metadata scope corresponds to a user.

6. The data structure of claim 5, wherein the metadata scope comprises biometric information corresponding to the user.

7. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the metadata scope encompasses messages having predetermined content.

8. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the metadata scope comprises a uniform resource identifier (URI).

9. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the metadata scope comprises a message destination.

10. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the metadata scope comprises a message originator.

11. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the metadata scope encompasses intermediary network nodes.

12. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the metadata scope comprises a message ID corresponding to a message transmitting first and second data fields.

13. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the metadata scope encompasses authenticated messages.

14. The data structure of claim 1, wherein first and second data fields are wrapped within a third data field containing a web services description language (WSDL) document.

15. The data structure of claim 1, further comprising a third data field containing substantive communication information.

16. The data structure of claim 1, wherein first data field contains a metadata statement including a plurality of options.

17. The data structure of claim 16, wherein first data field contains a priority level associated with each of the plurality of options.

18. The data structure of claim 16, wherein first data field contains a requirement associated with one of the plurality of options.

19. The data structure of claim 1, further comprising a third data field functioning to indicate that the at least one metadata statement relates to a separately communicated metadata statement.

20. The data structure of claim 19, wherein the third data field indicates that the at least one metadata statement supercedes the separately communicated metadata statement.

21. The data structure of claim 19, wherein the third data field indicates that the at least one metadata statement intersects with the separately communicated metadata statement.

22. The data structure of claim 1, further comprising a third data field functioning to indicate that the at least one metadata statement cannot be eliminated by a separately communicated metadata statement that relates to the at least one metadata statement.

23. The data structure of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one metadata statements comprises a policy metadata statement aiding in communication with a web service defined by the metadata scope.

24. The data structure of claim 1, further comprising a third data field containing a policy hash digest.

25. The data structure of claim 24, further comprising a fourth data field containing a policy version identifier, and wherein the hash digest corresponds to a policy associated with the policy version identifier.

26. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the metadata scope encompasses a plurality of messages exchanged according to a predetermined pattern.

27. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the first data field contains at least two metadata statements, and further comprising a third data field comprising first security data corresponding to a first of the at least two metadata statements and second security data corresponding to a second of the at least two metadata statements, different from the first of the at least two metadata statements.

28. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one metadata statement comprises a table of policy metadata indicating valid policy configurations.

29. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the metadata scope encompasses a predetermined security token.

30. The data structure of claim 29, wherein the predetermined security token comprises any token of a predetermined type.

31. The data structure of claim 29, wherein the predetermined security token comprises any token issued by a predetermined authority.

32. The data structure of claim 5, wherein the scope encompasses a smart card corresponding to the user.

33. The data structure of claim 24, wherein the hash digest corresponds to metadata included by reference.

34. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the scope comprises an intentional descriptor.

35. A method for expediting communications between two networked devices comprising sending a message including both communication policy information and substantive communication data.

36. A method for expediting communications between a client and a metadata provider, comprising:

receiving from the client a request for policy metadata of a web service, wherein the request comprises a first policy hash digest;

determining whether the client has current policy metatdata based in part on the first policy hash digest; and

sending current policy metadata to the client when, based on the determining step, the client does not have current policy metadata.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said receiving, determining, and sending are performed by a web service provider.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein said receiving, determining, and sending are performed by a web services description service.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein said determining comprises generating a second hash policy digest based on current metadata policy in use by the web service, and comparing first and second hash policy digests;

and

wherein the client is determined to have current policy metadata when first and second policy hash policy digests match.

40. A method for updating metadata, comprising:

receiving from a client a policy metadata request comprising a policy version identifier;

comparing the received policy version identifier to a current policy metadata version identifier;

generating a policy metadata element based on differences between a version of policy metadata corresponding to the received policy version identifier and a version of policy metadata corresponding to the current policy metadata version identifier so that the policy metadata element refines the version of policy metadata corresponding to the received policy version identifier to be logically equivalent to the current metadata policy version; and

sending the policy metadata element to the client.

41. A method for expediting communications between a client and a metadata provider, comprising:

receiving at a client a first policy hash digest corresponding to current web service policy metadata;

determining a second policy hash digest based on web service policy metadata stored in a memory of the client; and

when first and second hash digests do not match, sending a request for the current web service policy metadata.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said sending includes sending the request to a web service provider corresponding to a web service described by the web service policy metadata.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein said sending includes sending the request to a web service description service.