System and method for enforcing quotas on object creation in a replicated directory service database

• US 20050010666A1
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nanda, Arun K., Hacherl, Donald J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,290,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4553 Object oriented directories, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA] name server
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99957 Garbage collection

Abstract

A system and method for managing the creation of objects in a distributed directory service system assigns quotas to entities (such as users, computers, groups) to limit the number of objects each entity is allowed to create and own. For purposes of enforcing the quotas, tombstones generated for deleted objects are taken into account in the calculation of a weighted total number of objects owned by an entity, with each tombstone counted as a configurable fraction of a regular object. When an entity requests a directory operation that will increase the number of objects owned by that entity, the number of system objects owned by that entity is added to the number of tombstones multiplied by the fractional tombstone factor to generate the weighted total, which is compared to the quota of that entity to determine when the requested operation should be performed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps for controlling creation of system objects of a directory service system, comprising:

receiving a request for a directory operation from a first entity of the directory service system, the first entity owning a plurality of system objects and tombstones for deleted system objects;

identifying a quota of the first entity for limiting objects owned by the first entity;

calculating a total number of objects as a sum of a number of said system objects of the first entity and a number of the tombstones of the first entity multiplied by a pre-selected fractional tombstone factor;

comparing the total number with the quota assigned to the entity to determine whether the quota of the first entity will be exceeded if the requested directory operation is performed; and

performing the requested directory operation if it is determined that the quota of the entity will not be exceeded.

2. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, wherein the directory service system has a plurality of entities permitted to create system objects, and wherein the computer-readable medium has further computer-executable instructions for tracking a number of system objects and a number of tombstones owned by each of said plurality of entities.

3. A computer-medium as in claim 2, where said step of tracking uses a quota table that contains data fields for said each entity indicating the number of system objects and the number of tombstones owned by said each entity.

4. A computer-readable medium as in claim 2, having further computer-executable instructions for maintaining a plurality of quota assignment objects, each quota assignment object specifying a quota value for a corresponding entity of the directory service system permitted to create system objects.

5. A computer-readable medium as in claim 4, having further computer-executable instructions for specifying a default quota, and wherein the step of identifying the quota of the first entity uses the default quota as the quota of the first entity if there is no quota assignment object corresponding to the first entity.

6. A computer-readable medium as in claim 4, having further computer-executable instructions for creating the quota assignment objects.

7. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, wherein the requested directory operation is adding a new system object, changing ownership of a system object, or undeleting a deleted system object.

8. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of changing the fractional tombstone factor from a default value.

9. A method of controlling creation of system objects in a directory service system by a plurality of entities permitted to create objects, comprising:

assigning, for each of the plurality of entities, a quota on object creation;

receiving a request for a directory operation from a first entity;

identifying the quota assigned to the first entity;

calculating a total number of objects of the first entity as a sum of a number of said system objects of the first entity and a number of the tombstones of the first entity multiplied by a pre-selected fractional tombstone factor;

comparing the total number with the quota assigned to the entity to determine whether the quota of the entity will be exceeded if the requested directory operation is performed; and

performing the requested directory operation if it is determined that the quota of the first entity will not be exceeded.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein the directory service system has a plurality of entities permitted to create system objects, and the method further includes the step of tracking a number of system objects and a number of tombstones owned by each of said plurality of entities.

11. A method as in claim 10, where said step of tracking uses a quota table that contains data fields for each said entity indicating the number of system objects and the number of tombstones owned by said each entity.

12. A method as in claim 10, further including the step of maintaining a plurality of quota assignment objects, each quota assignment object specifying a quota value for a corresponding entity of the directory service system permitted to create system objects.

13. A method as in claim 12, further including the step of specifying a default quota, and wherein the step of identifying a quota of the first entity uses the default quota as the quota for the first entity if there is no quota assignment object corresponding to the first entity.

14. A method as in claim 12, having further computer-executable instructions for creating the quota assignment objects.

15. A method as in claim 9, wherein the requested directory operation is adding a new system object, changing ownership of a system object, or undeleting a deleted system object.

16. A method as in claim 9, further including the step of changing the fractional tombstone factor from a default value.

17. A directory server of a directory service system, comprising:

a quota assignment component for maintaining a plurality of quota assignment objects, each quota assignment object specifying a quota on object creation for a corresponding entity permitted to create system objects of the directory service system;

a quota consumption tracking component for tracking a number of system objects and a number of tombstones owned by each of said plurality of entities;

a quota enforcement component for enforcing quotas assigned to said entities, the quota enforcement component being programmed to perform steps of;

receiving a request for a directory operation from a first entity of the directory service system, the first entity owning a plurality of system objects and tombstones for deleted system objects;

identifying a quota of the first entity for limiting a number of objects owned by the first entity;

calculating a total number of objects as a sum of a number of said system objects of the first entity and a number of the tombstones of the first entity multiplied by a pre-selected fractional tombstone factor;

comparing the total number with the quota assigned to the entity to determine whether the quota of the first entity will be exceeded if the requested directory operation is performed; and

performing the requested directory operation if it is determined that the quota of the entity will not be exceeded.

18. A directory server as in claim 17, wherein the quota consumption tracking components maintains a table having data fields for each of the plurality of entities identifying a number of system objects and a number of tombstones owned by said each entity.

19. A directory server as in claim 17, wherein the quota assignment component maintains a plurality or quota assignment objects, each quota assignment object specifying a quota for a corresponding entity.

20. A directory server as in claim 19, wherein the quota assignment component further specifies a default quota for use by an entity that does not have a corresponding quota assignment object.