Method and system for scalable event notification in lightweight directory access protocol systems

• US 6,769,011 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2000
• Issued: 07/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Gosselin, Nicolas, Desrochers, Stephane
• Primary Examiner(s): GECKIL, MEHMET B
• Application Number:
  US09/709,122
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 709/202, 709/203, 709/225, 709/229, 707/1, 707/2, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories

Abstract

A directory-search system for an LDAP server is provided to permit faster and more efficient persistent searches of LDAP directories of the server. Directory searches are performed by a proxy interoperably connected to one or more LDAP directories of the server and to one or more clients of the LDAP directories. The proxy searches a portion of the LDAP directories and receives registrations from one or more of the clients. The proxy can combine registrations from multiple clients into a single search of the LDAP directory. Registrations by the clients can be restricted to the portion of the LDAP directories searched by the proxy. The LDAP directories respond to the searches by the proxy by notifying the proxy concerning modifications to entries in the LDAP directories. In response to a determination that modified entries in the LDAP directories matches registration criteria received from one or more clients, the proxy notifies the appropriate clients of the modified entries.

Claims

1. A method of searching a directory of a server comprising the steps of:

searching a portion of the directory using a proxy;

notifying the proxy of a modification made to an entry in the searched portion of the directory;

determining by the proxy whether the modified entry matches certain registration criteria specified by at least one client; and

in response to a match, notifying by the proxy of the client concerning the modified entry.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of searching comprises the step of combining by the proxy of registration criteria received from a plurality of clients into a single search of the portion of the directory.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the registration criteria of the at least one client are restricted to the portion of the directory.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of searching the portion of the directory comprises the step of performing a persistent search.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the directory operates according to lightweight-directory-access protocol (LDAP).

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of registering by the at least one client with the proxy of a distinguished name of at least one entry that interests the client, the certain registration criteria including the distinguished name of the at least one entry.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of registering further comprises the step of the at least one client registering with the proxy via a transmission-control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) connection and specifying the distinguished name of the at least one entry that interests the at least one client to the proxy.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion of the directory is a sub-tree of the directory.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of notifying the at least one client further comprises the step of sending by the proxy of a universal-data-protocol (UDP) datagram to the at least one client.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of notifying the at least one client further comprises the step of correlating by the proxy of a distinguished name of the modified entry with a distinguished name of the at least one client.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of notifying the at least one client comprises the step of notifying the at least one client that an entry matching the certain registration criteria has been modified.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of notifying comprises the step of notifying the at least one client that an entry has been modified and identifying at least one attribute of the modified entry.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, in response to the step of searching, returning by the server of all modified entries in the portion to the proxy.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein each returned modified entry comprises a distinguished name and at least one attribute of the entry.

15. A directory-search system comprising:

a server including a directory having a plurality of entries, each entry represented by a unique identifier, the server operating to respond to a submitted search of a portion of the directory by issuing notice of instances in which entries in that portion are modified; and

a proxy interoperably connected to the server, wherein the proxy submits the search of the portion of the directory and responds to a match between a modified entry identified in the portion of the directory and a registration by at least one client by notifying the at least one client of the modified entry.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the search submitted by the proxy comprises a combination of registrations from a plurality of clients into a single submitted search of the portion of the directory.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the registration of the at least one client is restricted to the portion of the directory.

18. The directory-search system of claim 15 wherein the search issued by the proxy comprises a persistent search of the portion of the directory.

19. The directory-search system of claim 15 wherein the directory operates according to the lightweight-directory-access protocol (LDAP).

20. The directory-search system of claim 15 wherein the portion of the directory is a sub-tree of the directory.

21. The directory-search system of claim 15 wherein the notification by the proxy to the at least one client comprises a universal-data-protocol (UDP) datagram.

22. The directory-search system of claim 21 wherein the proxy correlates a distinguished name of the modified entry with registration criteria of the at least one client.

23. The directory-search system of claim 15 wherein the notification by the proxy comprises notice that a certain entry has been modified.

24. The directory-search system of claim 15 wherein the notification by the proxy comprises notice that a certain entry has been modified and includes at least one attribute of the modified entry.

25. The directory-search system of claim 15 wherein, in response to the search of the portion of the directory submitted by the proxy, the server issues notice of all modified entries in the portion to the proxy.

26. The directory-search system of claim 25 wherein each modified entry comprises a distinguished name and at least one attribute of the entry.