METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR PROVIDING IMPROVED DIRECTORY SERVICES

• US 20170289166A1
• Filed: 03/30/2016
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Healthstream Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Change Healthcare LLC (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Self, Bryan, Patterson, Michael, Lee, Vincent
• Granted Patent: US 10,404,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for implementing an improved directory services system. An example of the method includes transmitting an access request to a directory services server, the access request comprising user credentials, receiving, in response to validation of the user credentials by the directory services server, a directory services response from the directory services server, the directory services response comprising one or more fields of directory services data generated by the directory services server, translating the directory services response to generate a generic data object, wherein the generic data object comprises one or more values derived from the one or more fields of directory service data included in the directory services response, and providing the generic data object to an application.

Claims

1. A method for implementing improved directory services in a computer network, the method comprising:

transmitting an access request to a directory services server, the access request comprising user credentials;

receiving, in response to validation of the user credentials by the directory services server, a directory services response from the directory services server, the directory services response comprising one or more fields of directory services data generated by the directory services server;

translating the directory services response to generate a generic data object, wherein the generic data object comprises one or more values derived from the one or more fields of directory service data included in the directory services response; and

providing the generic data object to an application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the application also generates the access request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the directory services server is implemented according to the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) standard and wherein the directory services response is an LDAP response.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the directory services response further comprises:

receiving one or more configuration files, the one or more configuration files comprising a definition of the generic data object, identifiers for one or more of the fields of directory service data, and one or more rules for formatting the one or more fields of the directory service data for storage in the generic data object;

identifying the one or more values derived from the one or more fields of the directory service data based on the identifiers for the one or more fields of directory service data; and

formatting the identified one or more values for storage in the generic data object based on the one or more rules.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the configuration file comprises values encoded in a Yet Another Markup Language (YAML) format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generic data object is a Plain Old Java Object.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the generic data object in a database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one field of the directory services response is not included in the generic data object.

9. An apparatus for implementing improved directory services in a computer network, the apparatus comprising a processor coupled to a memory, wherein instructions stored within the memory configure the processor to at least:

transmit an access request to a directory services server, the access request comprising user credentials;

receive, in response to validation of the user credentials by the directory services server, a directory services response from the directory services server, the directory services response comprising one or more fields of directory services data generated by the directory services server;

translate the directory services response to generate a generic data object, wherein the generic data object comprises one or more values derived from the one or more fields of directory service data included in the directory services response; and

provide the generic data object to an application.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the application also generates the access request.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the directory services server is implemented according to the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) standard and wherein the directory services response is an LDAP response.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein translating the directory services response further comprises:

receiving one or more configuration files, the one or more configuration files comprising a definition of the generic data object, identifiers for one or more of the fields of directory service data, and one or more rules for formatting the one or more fields of the directory service data for storage in the generic data object;

identifying the one or more values derived from the one or more fields of the directory service data based on the identifiers for the one or more fields of directory service data; and

formatting the identified one or more values for storage in the generic data object based on the one or more rules.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the configuration file comprises values encoded in a Yet Another Markup Language (YAML) format.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the generic data object is a Plain Old Java Object.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to store the generic data object in a database.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least one field of the directory services response is not included in the generic data object.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement improved directory services in a computer network by at least:

transmitting an access request to a directory services server, the access request comprising user credentials;

receiving, in response to validation of the user credentials by the directory services server, a directory services response from the directory services server, the directory services response comprising one or more fields of directory services data generated by the directory services server;

translating the directory services response to generate a generic data object, wherein the generic data object comprises one or more values derived from the one or more fields of directory service data included in the directory services response; and

providing the generic data object to an application.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the application also generates the access request.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the directory services server is implemented according to the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) standard and wherein the directory services response is an LDAP response.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to translate the directory services response by at least:

receiving one or more configuration files, the one or more configuration files comprising a definition of the generic data object, identifiers for one or more of the fields of directory service data, and one or more rules for formatting the one or more fields of the directory service data for storage in the generic data object;

identifying the one or more values derived from the one or more fields of the directory service data based on the identifiers for the one or more fields of directory service data; and

formatting the identified one or more values for storage in the generic data object based on the one or more rules.