Unification of directory service with file system services

• US 5,675,787 A
• Filed: 06/02/1995
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Neeman, Yuval, Rubin, Darryl E., Contorer, Aaron M., Misra, Pradyumna K., Seaman, Michael R. C., Miller, Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US08/460,137
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.03, 395/425, 395/500, 395/600, 395/650, 395/700, 395/800, 395/601, 395/602, 395/603, 395/604, 395/605, 395/606, 395/607, 395/608, 395/609, 395/610, 395/611 , 395/612, 395/613, 395/614, 395/615, 364/280, 364/200, 364/282.1, 364/282.3, 364/282.4, 364/283.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A software system unifies directory services with the file system. Directory service entries and other files are all stored in a common logical format, such as an object format. The unification of files with directory service entries allows a common set of tools to operate on both such entities and allows a common name space to be utilized. Security measures are taken so as to prevent unauthorized access to the directory service entries.

Claims

1. In a data processing system having resources, including a storage device, a method comprising the steps of:

storing directory service entries of a first type in the storage device, said directory service entries of the first type holding property values describing a resource; and

storing directory service entries of a second type in the storage device, said directory service entries of the second type holding information regarding how to locate resources within the distributed system, such that a single mechanism may be used to access both a directory service entry of the first type to query property values of a resource and a directory service entry of the second type to locate a resource within the distributed system.

2. In a distributed system having a plurality of resources, including a distributed file system and a distributed security system that includes a locator service for locating resources, a method comprising the steps of:

providing directory service entries that include information regarding structure of the distributed system;

at system initialization, using the locator service of the distributed security system to locate the directory service entries;

accessing the located directory service entries to obtain the information regarding the structure of the distributed system included therein; and

using the information regarding the structure of the distributed system including in the directory service entries to build a distributed name space for the distributed system.

3. In a distributed system having a security system, a file system and directory service entries, a method, comprising the steps of:

providing a locator service as part of the security system for locating things within the distributed system; and

in response to a request to locate selected ones of the directory service entries, locating the selected directory service entries using the locator service.

4. The method recited in claim 3, further comprising the step of accessing the selected directory service entries once they have been located.

5. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a data processing system to perform the steps of:

storing directory service entries of a first type in the storage device, said directory service entries of the first holding property values describing a resource; and

storing directory service entries of a second type in the storage device, said directory service entries of the second type holding information regarding how to locate resources within the distributed system, such that the same mechanism may be used to access both a directory service entry of the first type to query property values of a resource and a directory service entry of the second type to locate a resource within the distributed system.

6. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system in a distributed system having a plurality of resources, including a distributed file system and a distributed security system that includes a locator service for locating resources, to establish a distributed name space for the distributed system by performing the steps of:

providing directory service entries that include information regarding structure of the distributed system;

during system initialization, using the locator service of the distributed security system to locate the directory service entries;

accessing the located directory service entries to obtain the information regarding the structure of the distributed system included therein; and

using the information regarding the structure of the distributed system included in the directory service entries to build a distributed name space for the distributed system.