Directory access method

• US 6,377,948 B2
• Filed: 09/16/1998
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Kazuo, Matsuoka, Yusuke, Odaki, Michiyasu, Kikuchi, Satoshi, Hirashima, Yoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/153,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/201, 707/203, 707/104, 707/8, 707/10, 707/2, 707/3, 709/101, 709/201, 709/217, 709/219, 714/19, 714/20
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2343 Locking methods, e.g. distributed locking or locking implementation details
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A network system includes a directory server having a database for storing directory information, and at least one client connected to the directory server through a network. The client issues statements for defining a transaction. The directory server includes a non-transaction processing unit for processing each of access requests from the client as a different transaction, a transaction processing unit for processing a sequence of access requests from the client as a single transaction, a phase management table for storing a connected client and a processing phase for an access request, and a phase management unit for determining whether an access request from a connected client is defined as a transaction, storing a processing phase in the phase management table, and passing the access request from the client to the non-transaction processing unit or to the transaction processing unit based on the stored processing phase.

Claims

1. A directory server connected to at least one client through a network, comprising:

non-transaction processing means for operating in a non-transaction phase by performing access-processing and validate-processing for each access request from the client;

transaction processing means for operating in a transaction phase by performing access-processing according to at least one access request from the client and performing validate-processing for the access-processing when receiving a request for indicating a termination of a transaction from the client, and

phase management means for moving a processing phase to said transaction phase processed by the transaction processing means when receiving a request for indicating a beginning of the transaction from the client during said non-transaction phase processed by the non-transaction processing means, and moving said processing phase to said non-transaction phase after performing validate-processing when receiving a request for indicating a termination of the transaction from the client during processing by the transaction processing means.

2. A directory server according to claim 1, wherein said phase management means passes to said transaction processing means access requests which have been received from reception of a request for indicating the beginning of a transaction to reception of a request for indicating a normal or abnormal termination of the transaction.

3. A directory server according to claim 2, wherein said phase management means performs a validate-processing and retains said processing phase in the transaction phase when receiving another request for indicating a beginning of the transaction during the transaction phase.

4. A directory server according to claim 1, wherein said phase management means passes to said non-transaction processing means access requests other than those surrounded by a request for indicating the beginning of a transaction and a request for indicating a normal or abnormal termination of the transaction.

5. A directory server according to claim 1, further comprising:

a phase management table for managing said processing phase for each of the clients.

6. A directory server according to claim 5, wherein said phase management table stores an exclusive mode for indicating whether a wait state is maintained until the directory information is released from a locked state or an error is immediately returned when directory information is locked due to multiple lock, and said transaction processing means determines how to take action with the multiple lock, when occurring, in accordance with said exclusive mode.

7. A directory server according to claim 6, wherein said transaction processing means abnormally terminates a transaction under processing, when said exclusive mode stored in said phase management table indicates an immediate error and the multiple lock occurs.

8. A directory server according to claim 6, wherein said transaction processing means continues a transaction under processing when said exclusive mode stored in said phase management table indicates a waiting and the multiple lock occurs.

9. A direction server according to claim 1, wherein said access-processing comprises one of modify and search.

10. A directory server according to claim 1, further comprising means for causing said directory server to bidirectionally transit between said non-transaction phase and said transaction phase.

11. A directory server according to claim 10, wherein said transition means causes said directory server to transit to a transaction phase when a request for indicating the beginning of transaction is received and to a non-transaction phase when a request for indicating a normal or abnormal termination of the transaction is received.

12. A directory server according to claim 10, wherein said transition means causes said directory server to transit to a new transaction phase when a request for indicating the beginning of a new transaction is received during a current transaction phase.

13. A network system comprising:

a directory server including a database for storing directory information; and

at least one client connected to said directory server through a network,

said client having means for defining a transaction; and

said directory server including;

non-transaction processing means for operating in a non-transaction phase by performing access-processing and validate-processing for each access request from the client;

transaction processing means for operating in a transaction phase by performing access-processing according to at least one access request from the client and performing validate-processing for the access-processing when receiving a request for indicating a termination of said transaction from the client; and

phase management means for moving a processing phase to said transaction phase processed by the transaction processing means when receiving a request for indicating a beginning of the transaction from the client during said non-transaction phase processed by the non-transaction processing means, and moving said processing phase to non-transaction phase after performing validate-processing when receiving a request for indicating a termination of the transaction from the client during processing by the transaction processing means.

14. A network system according to claim 13, wherein said access-processing comprises one of modify and search.