Network directory access mechanism

• US 6,553,368 B2
• Filed: 03/03/1998
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Martin, Jean-Christophe, Duloutre, Sylvain
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Application Number:
  US09/033,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20010011277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103, 707/10, 707/104, 707/1, 707/2, 707/4, 707/9, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 713/200, 713/201, 713/222
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4517 using open systems interconnection [OSI] directories, e.g. X.500
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A computer-implemented directory access mechanism provides a directory service operable to access a network directory under a predetermined protocol by responding to an access request under the protocol for information available in a predetermined environment external to the directory. The directory service then uses the access method for the environment to access the information available in the environment. In this manner, data in the given environment can be accessed by a directory service operable under the given protocol by configuring an attribute access method and using this method to retrieve the information. The protocol can be the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. The information to be accessed could typically be an attribute of an entry in the directory. An access control list (for example the Directory Access Control Domain) can contain not only control access rights for directory objects, but also the access methods for attributes of the directory objects.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented directory access mechanism to integrate information stored in heterogeneous environments, comprising:

i) a directory service comprising a directory database operable to receive a first request in a first protocol to access information stored in an environment external to the directory database;

ii) said directory service retrieving an access method usable to access the information, wherein the access method specifies a second protocol different than the first protocol; and

iii) said directory service creating a second request to access the information according to the second protocol;

wherein said directory service receiving the first request in the first protocol comprises the directory service receiving the first request in an LDALP protocol;

wherein the second protocol specified by the access method comprises a protocol other than an LDAP protocol; and

wherein said directory service creating the second request to access the information according to the second protocol comprises the directory service creating the second request to access the information according to the protocol other than an LDAP protocol.

2. The mechanism of claim 1,

wherein the access method is retrieved from a domain definition for the directory service.

3. The mechanism of claim 2,

wherein the domain definition is constructed in accordance with an X.501 specification, except that the domain definition also includes information relating to one or more access methods usable to access information stored in one or more environments external to the directory service.

4. The mechanism of claim 2,

wherein the domain definition also includes access control information.

5. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the directory service complies with the X.500 specification and the access method is retrieved from a Directory Access Control Domain object.

6. A method for integrating information stored in association with multiple directory services, the method comprising:

a first directory service including a first directory database receiving a first request in a first protocol to access information stored in a second directory database of a second directory service;

the first directory service retrieving an access method, wherein the access method specifies a second protocol different than the first protocol, wherein the second protocol is usable to retrieve the information from the second directory service;

the first directory service creating a second request according to the second protocol; and

the first directory service sending the second request to the second directory service to retrieve the information from the second directory database;

wherein said first directory service receiving the first request in the first protocol comprises the first directory service receiving the first request in an LDAP protocol;

wherein the second protocol specified by the access method comprises a protocol other than an LDAP protocol; and

wherein said first directory service creating the second request according to the second protocol comprises the first directory service creating the second request according to the protocol other than an LDAP protocol.

7. A method for retrieving information, the method comprising:

a directory service including a directory database receiving a first request in a first protocol to access information stored in association with a second database external to the directory database;

the directory service retrieving an access method specifying a second protocol usable to retrieve the information from the second database;

the directory service creating a second request according to the second protocol; and

the directory service sending the second request to the second database to retrieve the information from the second database;

wherein said directory service receiving the first request in the first protocol comprises the directory service receiving the first request in an LDAP protocol;

wherein the second protocol specified by the access method comprises a protocol other than an LDAP protocol; and

wherein said directory service creating the second request according to the second protocol comprises the directory service creating the second request according to the protocol other than an LDAP protocol.

8. A computer program product on a carrier medium, said computer program product comprising:

i) a directory service comprising a directory database operable to receive a first request in a first protocol to access information stored in an environment external to the directory database;

ii) said directory service retrieving an access method usable to access the information, wherein the access method specifies a second protocol different than the first protocol; and

iii) said directory service creating a second request to access the information according to the second protocol;

wherein said directory service receiving the first request in the first protocol comprises the directory service receiving the first request in an LDAP protocol;

wherein the second protocol specified by the access method comprises a protocol other than an LDAP protocol; and

wherein said directory service creating the second request to access the information according to the second protocol comprises the directory service creating the second request to access the information according to the protocol other than an LDAP protocol.

9. A computer-implemented directory access mechanism to integrate information stored in heterogeneous environments, comprising:

i) a directory service comprising a directory database operable to receive a first request in a first protocol to access information stored in an environment external to the directory database;

ii) said directory service retrieving an access method usable to access the information, wherein the access method specifies a second protocol different than the first protocol; and

iii) said directory service creating a second request to access the information according to the second protocol;

wherein the directory service is a first directory service;

wherein the directory database is a first directory database;

wherein the information is stored in a second directory database of a second directory service;

wherein the first directory service receives the first request in a first directory access protocol;

wherein the access method specifies a second directory access protocol usable to access the second directory service; and

wherein the first directory service creates the second request to access the information according to the second directory access protocol.

10. A computer-implemented directory access mechanism to integrate information stored in heterogeneous environments, comprising:

i) a directory service comprising a directory database operable to receive a first request in a first protocol to access information stored in an environment external to the directory database;

ii) said directory service retrieving an access method usable to access the information, wherein the access method specifies a second protocol different than the first protocol; and

iii) said directory service creating a second request to access the information according to the second protocol;

wherein the directory database is a first database;

wherein the information is stored in a second database external to the first database;

wherein the access method specifies a database protocol usable to access the second database; and

wherein the first directory service creates the second request to access the information according to the database protocol.

11. A computer program product on a carrier medium, said computer program product comprising:

i) a directory service comprising a directory database operable to receive a first request in a first protocol to access information stored in an environment external to the directory database;

ii) said directory service retrieving an access method usable to access the information, wherein the access method specifies a second protocol different than the first protocol; and

iii) said directory service creating a second request to access the information according to the second protocol;

wherein the directory service is a first directory service;

wherein the directory database is a first directory database;

wherein the information is stored in a second directory database of a second directory service;

wherein the first directory service receives the first request in a first directory access protocol;

wherein the access method specifies a second directory access protocol usable to access the second directory service; and

wherein the first directory service creates the second request to access the information according to the second directory access protocol.

12. A computer program product on a carrier medium, said computer program product comprising:

i) a directory service comprising a directory database operable to receive a first request in a first protocol to access information stored in an environment external to the directory database;

ii) said directory service retrieving an access method usable to access the information, wherein the access method specifies a second protocol different than the first protocol; and

iii) said directory service creating a second request to access the information according to the second protocol;

wherein the directory database is a first database;

wherein the information is stored in a second database external to the first database;

wherein the access method specifies a database protocol usable to access the second database; and

wherein the first directory service creates the second request to access the information according to the database protocol.