Preparing output XML based on selected programs and XML templates

• US 6,782,379 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oblix, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Michele C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mofiz, Apu M
• Application Number:
  US09/997,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20020129024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/10, 707/103.T, 707/103.R, 235/462.01, 701/33, 709/218, 709/246, 709/310, 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/523, 717/102, 717/106
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• 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 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An Identity System delivers customized request responses that integrate the results of multiple programs. The Identity System receives and translates a user request. The Identity Systems employs a program service to identify all the programs required to complete the request. The Identity System uses a XML data registry to retrieve a XML template and XSL stylesheet for each program. The Identity System executes all of the programs for the request and organizes their results into a single data structure, based on the templates for each program. The Identity System then applies attribute display characteristics to convert the data structure into a single Output XML. The Output XML can be provided directly to the user or receive further processing using the retrieved XSL stylesheets.

Claims

1. A method for using an Identity System, comprising:

(a) receiving a request to access information in said Identity System;

(b) translating said request to identify at least a first program that can be used to perform said request and at least a first XML template that corresponds to said first program;

(c) executing said first program, said executing of said first program provides result data; and

(d) preparing XML output in response to said request by adding said result data to at least a portion of said first XML template.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b) comprises:

(1) identifying a set of programs that can be used to perform said request; and

(2) retrieving multiple XML templates, each XML template corresponding to one of said programs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step (b)(1) includes the steps of:

(i) identifying said first program as corresponding to a function called for in said request; and

(ii) identifying a set of peripheral programs corresponding to said first program.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a program service maintains pointers to programs in said set of programs.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a peripheral program in said set of peripheral programs provides for generating a navigation bar, wherein said step (b)(2) further includes the steps of:

(ii) identifying a XML template corresponding to a set of access privileges for a user issuing said request; and

(iii) selecting a portion of said XML template identified in said step (b)(2)(ii) corresponding to said program.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said executing includes executing said set of programs and combining results from said set of programs based on said multiple XML templates; and

said XML output includes said results from said set of programs and is formatted based on said multiple XML templates.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said step (b) includes the step of:

(3) retrieving a set of XSL stylesheets, including a XSL stylesheet corresponding to said first program.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein a XML data registry includes a register file corresponding to said first program, wherein said register file contains an entry corresponding to said XML template identified in said step (b)(2)(i).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (d) includes the steps of:

(1) preparing an XML data structure for said result data based on said first XML template; and

(2) transforming said XML data structure into said XML output.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said request is for accessing an identity profile in a directory server;

said identity profile includes a plurality of attributes; and

said result data includes at least a subset of said attributes.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of preparing includes the step of:

(i) obtaining display characteristics for attributes in said XML data structure.

12. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

(e) performing a pre-processing operation in response to said request prior to performing said step (b).

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said translating includes identifying a first XML schema corresponding to said first program, said first XML schema is different than said first XML template.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps (a), (b), (c), and (d) are performed by said Identity System and said Identity System is integrated with an Access System.

15. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

(a) receiving a request;

(b) translating said request to identify a first program that can be used to perform said request and a first XML template that corresponds to said first program;

(c) executing said first program, said executing provides result data; and

(d) preparing an XML output in response to said request by adding said result data to at least a portion of said first XML template.

16. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 15, wherein said step (b) includes:

(1) identifying a set of programs; and

(2) retrieving a set of XML templates, each XML template corresponds to one of said programs.

17. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 16, wherein said step (b)(1) includes the steps of:

(i) identifying said first program as corresponding to a function called for in said request; and

(ii) identifying a set of peripheral programs corresponding to said first program.

18. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 17, wherein said step (b) includes the step of:

(3) retrieving a set of XSL stylesheets, wherein said step (b)(3) includes the step of;

(i) identifying a XSL stylesheet corresponding to said first program.

19. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 17, wherein a peripheral program in said set of peripheral programs provides for generating a navigation bar, wherein said step (b)(2) further includes the steps of:

identifying a first XML template corresponding to a set of access privileges for a user issuing said request; and

selecting a portion of said first XML template.

20. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 15, wherein said step (d) includes the steps of:

(1) preparing an XML data structure, wherein said XML data structure includes attributes obtained in response to executing said first program and said XML data structure is organized in accordance with said first XML template; and

(2) transforming said XML data structure into said XML output.

21. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 15, wherein:

said request is for accessing a plurality of identity profiles;

said identity profiles includes a plurality of attributes; and

said result data includes at least a subset of said attributes.

22. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 15, wherein:

said translating includes identifying a first XML schema corresponding to said first program, said first XML schema is different than said first XML template.

23. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 15, wherein said steps (a), (b), (c), and (d) are performed by an Identity System integrated with an Access System.

24. An apparatus comprising:

one or more communications interfaces;

one or more storage devices; and

one or more processors in communication with said one or more storage devices and said one or more communication interfaces, said one or more processors perform a method comprising;

(a) receiving a request to access information in an Identity System;

(b) translating said request to identify at least a first program that can be used to perform said request and at least a first XML template that corresponds to said first program;

(c) executing said first program, said executing of said first program provides result data; and

(d) preparing XML output in response to said request by adding said result data to at least a portion of said first XML template.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said step (b) includes:

(1) identifying a set of programs; and

(2) retrieving a set of XML templates.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said step (b)(1) includes the steps of:

(i) identifying said first program as corresponding to a function called for in said request; and

(ii) identifying a set of peripheral programs corresponding to said first program.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said step (b) includes the step of:

retrieving a set of XSL stylesheets

including identifying a XSL stylesheet corresponding to said first program.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein a peripheral program in said set of peripheral programs provides for generating a navigation bar, wherein said step (b)(2) further includes the steps of:

(ii) identifying a XML template corresponding to a set of access privileges for a user issuing said request; and

(iii) selecting a portion of said XML template identified in said step (b)(2)(ii) corresponding to said first program.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said step (d) includes the steps of:

(1) preparing and XML data structure, wherein said XML data structure includes attributes obtained in response to executing said first program in said step (c) and said XML data structure is organized in accordance with said set of XML templates; and

(2) transforming said XML data structure into said XML output.

30. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein:

said request is for accessing a plurality of identity profiles;

said identity profiles includes a plurality of attributes; and

said result data includes at least a subset of said attributes.

31. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein:

said translating includes identifying a first XML schema corresponding to said first program, said first XML schema is different than said first XML template.

32. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said one or more processors implement an Identity System integrated with an Access System.

33. A method for using an Identity System, comprising:

(a) receiving a request at a server, wherein said server includes a program service and a XML data registry;

(b) translating said request to identify a set of programs and a set of XML templates, wherein said step (b) includes the steps of;

(1) identifying an entry in said program service corresponds to a program in said set of programs, wherein said program corresponds to a function called for by said request, and

(2) identifying an entry in a register file in said XML data registry, wherein said entry in said step (b)(2) corresponds to an XML template in said set of XML templates, wherein said XML template corresponds to said program and said register file corresponds to said program;

(c) executing said set of programs; and

(d) preparing an XML output in response to said request by adding results from executing said set of programs to at least a portion of said XML templates.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said step (b) further includes the step of:

(3) identifying an entry in said register file, wherein said entry in said step (b)(3) corresponds to a XSL stylesheet corresponding to said program, said XSL stylesheet is separate from said XML template, said XSL stylesheet is used to present information from said XML output.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein said step (d) includes the steps of:

(1) preparing a XML data structure, wherein said XML data structure includes attributes obtained in response to executing said set of programs in said step (c) and said XML data structure is organized in accordance with said set of XML templates; and

(2) transforming said XML data structure into said XML output.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said step (b) further includes the step of:

identifying an entry in said register file, wherein said entry in said step (b)(3) corresponds to a XSL schema corresponding to said program, said XSL stylesheet is separate from said XML template.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein said steps (a), (b), (c), and (d) are performed by said Identity System and said Identity System is integrated with an Access System.

38. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

(a) receiving a request at a server, wherein said server includes a program service and a XML data registry;

(b) translating said request to identify a set of programs and a set of XML templates, wherein said step (b) includes the steps of;

(1) identifying an entry in said program service corresponding to a program in said set of programs, wherein said program corresponds to a function called for by said request, and

(2) identifying an entry in a register file in said XML data registry, wherein said entry in said step (b)(2) corresponds to an XML template in said set of XML templates, wherein said XML template corresponds to said program and said register file corresponds to said program;

(c) executing said set of programs; and

(d) preparing an XML output in response to said request by adding results from executing said set of programs to at least a portion of said XML templates.

39. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 38, wherein said step (b) further includes the step of:

(3) identifying an entry in said register file, wherein said entry in said step (b)(3) corresponds to a XSL stylesheet corresponding to said program, said XSL stylesheet is separate from said XML template, said XSL stylesheet is used to present information from said XML output.

40. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 38, wherein said step (d) includes the steps of:

(1) preparing a XML data structure, wherein said XML data structure includes attributes obtained in response to executing said set of programs in said step (c) and said XML data structure is organized in accordance with said set of XML templates; and

(2) transforming said XML data structure into said XML output.

41. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 38, wherein said step of translating includes:

identifying an entry in said register file corresponding to a XSL schema associated with said program, said XSL stylesheet is separate from said XML template.

42. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 38, wherein said steps (a), (b), (c), and (d) are performed by an Identity System.

43. A method for using an Identity System, comprising:

(a) receiving a request to access a plurality of identity profiles in said Identity System, said identity profiles each include a plurality of attributes;

(b) identifying a set of programs that can be used to perform said request, a set of XML templates that are associated with said programs and a set of one or more XML schemas that are associated with said programs, said one or more XML schemas are different than said XML templates;

(c) executing said set of programs, said executing of said set of programs provides result data, said result data includes at least a subset of said attributes; and

(d) preparing an XML output in response to said request, said XML output includes said result data and is organized based on said set of XML templates.

44. A method according to claim 43, wherein:

said steps (a), (b), (c), and (d) are performed by said Identity System and said Identity System is integrated with an Access System.

45. A method according to claim 43, wherein:

said plurality of identity profiles are stored in an LDAP directory system.