NUMERIC IDENTIFIER ASSIGNMENT IN A NETWORKED COMPUTER ENVIRONMENT

• US 20080059475A1
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Rowley, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,745,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2145 Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method of assigning unique identifiers in a multi-master directory service. In particular, each server in the system assigns numeric user identifiers in a linear fashion that compliments the series of user identifiers assigned by the other servers. In particular, a first server is selected and assigned a first starting number. Each subsequent server is then assigned their own starting series number equal by incrementing from the first starting number. Then, all servers are assigned an additive, which is an integer greater than or equal to the number of servers in the system. Each server then generates its own series of unique numeric identifiers based on its own starting series number and the additive.

Claims

1. A method of assigning numeric unique identifiers in a loosely coupled multi-master directory service comprising a set of s servers, wherein s is the total number of servers in the set of servers, the method comprising:

selecting a first server in the set of servers;

determining a starting number for the first server;

assigning to each of the other servers in the set of servers their own starting number based on the starting number for the first server;

assigning an additive to the set of servers, wherein the additive is an integer greater than or equal to s; and

generating, at each server, a set of numeric unique identifiers based on their own starting number and the assigned additive, wherein the numeric unique identifiers is equal to the additive added to the unique identifier previously assigned by that server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of unique identifiers comprise user identifiers and group identifiers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the first server in the set of servers comprises randomly selecting one of the set of servers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the first server in the set of servers comprises iteratively selecting one of the set of servers in a round-robin fashion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the starting number for the first server comprises:

querying the set of servers for the numeric user identifiers that they have assigned;

determining a largest of the numeric user identifiers that have been assigned;

determining the starting number based on the larges of the numeric user identifiers that have been assigned.

6. A server of a loosely coupled multi-master directory service comprising a set of s servers, wherein s is the total number of servers in the set of servers, each one of the set of servers is assigned a series number wherein a first server is assigned a first series number and each subsequent server is assigned its own series number based on the first series number, the server comprising:

a memory for storing the assigned series number and an additive, wherein the additive is an integer greater than or equal to s; and

a central processing unit configured to generate a set of unique identifiers, the set of unique identifiers that comprise a first unique identifier equal to the assigned starting series number and subsequent unique identifiers that are equal to the additive added to the unique identifier previously assigned.

7. The server of claim 6 wherein the set of unique identifiers comprise user identifiers and group identifiers.