Directory service for a computer network
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
71 Claims
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1-28. -28. (Canceled)
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29. A distributed directory service for providing users of a computer network with a hierarchical directory of content entities on said network, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 70)
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37-53. -53. (Canceled)
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66-69. -69. (Canceled)
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71. (Canceled)
Specification