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

• US 20050165833A1
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• 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 7,290,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for controlling creation of system objects of a directory service system, the method 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 assigned to the first entity for limiting objects owned by the first entity;

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

comparing the calculated total number with the quota assigned to the first entity to determine whether the quota assigned to 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 assigned to the first entity will not be exceeded.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

tracking the number of system objects owned by the first entity; and

tracking the number of tombstones owned by the first entity.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

maintaining a quota assignment object, the quota assignment object specifying a quota value for an entity of the directory service system permitted to create a system object.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

if it is determined that the quota assigned to the first entity would otherwise be exceeded, then denying the requested directory operation.

25. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for controlling creation of system objects in a directory service system by a plurality of entities permitted to create objects, the method 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 system objects of the first entity and a number of tombstones of the first entity multiplied by a pre-selected fractional tombstone factor;

comparing the calculated total number with the quota assigned to the first entity to determine whether the quota assigned to 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 assigned to the first entity will not be exceeded.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 having further computer-executable instructions for:

tracking the number of system objects owned by the first entity; and

tracking the number of tombstones owned by the first entity.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 having further computer-executable instructions for:

maintaining a quota assignment object, the quota assignment object specifying a quota value for an entity of the directory service system permitted to create a system object.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 having further computer-executable instructions for:

if it is determined that the quota assigned to the first entity would otherwise be exceeded, then denying the requested directory operation.

29. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon an object-creation quota table data structure, the object-creation quota table data structure comprising:

a first data field containing data representing an object-creation quota;

a second data field containing data representing a number of system objects owned by an entity;

a third data field containing data representing a number of tombstones owned by the entity; and

a fourth data field containing data representing a fractional tombstone factor for the entity.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 wherein the object-creation quota is a default quota, and wherein the object-creation quota table data structure further comprises:

a fifth data field containing data representing an object-creation quota for the entity.