Attribute rule enforcer for a directory

• US 20030074372A1
• Filed: 08/01/2001
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barchi, Ronald Samuel, Carter, Jeffrey P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,328,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/282 Hierarchical databases, e.g. IMS, LDAP data stores or Lotus Notes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database

Abstract

An attribute rule enforcer for evaluating the attributes of a call to add, modify, or delete information in a directory, such as a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) directory. The attribute rule enforcer determines if the attributes of the call comply with predetermined rules governing the directory'"'"'s content. The directory attribute rule enforcer may be located at the front end of the directory'"'"'s access server, and intercepts calls to the directory access server. If the directory attribute rule enforcer determines that the attributes of a call complies with the rules governing the content of the directory, it will forward the call to the directory'"'"'s access server for action. If, on the other hand, directory attribute rule enforcer determines that the attributes of a call do not comply with the rules governing the content of the directory, the attribute rule enforcer will reject the call. Further, it may forward an appropriate error message to the source of the call.

Claims

1. A method for processing calls to a directory, comprising:

receiving a call to a directory;

evaluating the call according to one or more rules governing data that may be included in the directory; and

processing the call based upon the evaluation of the call according to the one or more previously determined rules.

2. The method for processing calls recited in claim 1, wherein the step of evaluating the call includes determining if the call includes a request to add data to the directory, a request to modify data in the directory, or a request to delete data from the directory.

3. The method for processing calls recited in claim 2, wherein if the call does not include a request to add data to the directory, a request to modify data in the directory, or a request to delete data from the directory, then the processing step includes forwarding the call to the directory.

4. The method for processing calls recited in claim 2, wherein the call is forwarded to the directory through a directory access server controlling access to the directory.

5. The method for processing calls recited in claim 2, wherein the evaluation step further includes determining if one or more attributes included in the call comply with one or more rules in a set of rules when the call includes a request to add data to the directory, a request to modify data in the directory, or a request to delete data from the directory.

6. The method for processing calls recited in claim 5, wherein the processing step includes forwarding the call to the directory when the one or more attributes included in the call comply with each of the one or more rules in the first set of rules.

7. The method for processing calls recited in claim 6, wherein the call is forwarded to the directory through a directory access server controlling access to the directory.

8. The method for processing calls recited in claim 6, wherein the processing step includes forwarding an error message to a source of the call when the one or more attributes included in the call do not comply with each of the one or more rules in the set of rules.

9. The method for processing calls recited in claim 5, wherein the processing step includes forwarding the call to the directory when the one or more attributes included in the call comply with at least one of the one or more rules in the set of rules.

10. The method for processing calls recited in claim 9, wherein the call is forwarded to the directory through a directory access server controlling access to the directory.

11. The method for processing calls recited in claim 9, wherein the processing step includes forwarding an error message to a source of the call when the one or more attributes included in the call do not comply with any of the one or more rules in the set of rules.

12. The method for processing calls recited in claim 2, wherein the evaluation step further includes

determining if one or more attributes included in the call comply with one or more rules in a first set of rules when the call includes a request to add data to the directory,

determining if one or more attributes included in the call comply with one or more rules in a second set of rules when the call includes a request to modify data in the directory, and

determining if one or more attributes included in the call comply with one or more rules in a third set of rules when the call includes a request to delete data from the directory.

13. The method for processing calls recited in claim 1, wherein the directory employs the lightweight directory access protocol.

14. A rule attribute enforcer, comprising:

a rule validator for determining if attributes in a call to a directory comply with rules governing data that may be included in the directory; and

a transaction monitor for intercepting calls to the directory, such that the transaction monitor

diverts intercepted calls to the rule validator that include a request to add data to the directory, a request to modify data in the directory, or a request to delete data from the directory; and

forwards intercepted calls to the directory that do not include a request to add data to the directory, a request to modify data in the directory, or a request to delete data from the directory.

15. The attribute rule enforcer recited in claim 14, wherein when the rule validator determines that one or more attributes included in a call comply with each of one or more rules in a set of rules, the rule validator forwards the call.

16. The attribute rule enforcer recited in claim 15, wherein the rule validator forwards the call to the transaction monitor, and the transaction monitor relays the call to the directory.

17. The attribute rule enforcer recited in claim 16, wherein transaction monitor relays the call to the directory through a directory access server that controls access to the directory.

18. The attribute rule enforcer recited in claim 15, wherein the rule validator forwards the call to the directory.

19. The attribute rule enforcer recited in claim 15, wherein the rule validator forwards the call to the directory through a directory access server that controls access to the directory.

20. The attribute rule enforcer recited in claim 14, wherein

when the rule validator determines that one or more attributes included in a call comply with at least one of one or more rules in a set of rules, the rule validator forwards the call.

21. The attribute rule enforcer recited in claim 20, wherein the rule validator forwards the call to the transaction monitor, and the transaction monitor relays the call to the directory.

22. The attribute rule enforcer recited in claim 21, wherein transaction monitor relays the call to the directory through a directory access server that controls access to the directory.

23. The attribute rule enforcer recited in claim 20, wherein the rule validator forwards the call to the directory.

24. The attribute rule enforcer recited in claim 23, wherein the rule validator forwards the call to the directory through a directory access server that controls access to the directory.

25. A directory network, including:

one or more client computers;

a directory, and

an attribute rule enforcer as recited in claim 14, the attribute rule enforcer being arranged in the directory network so as to intercept calls from the one or more client computers to the directory.

26. The directory network recited in claim 25, further including directory access server that controls access to the directory interposed between the attribute rule enforcer and the directory.