Method and system for determining a directory entry's class of service based on the value of a specifier in the entry

• US 7,020,662 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2001
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Rowley, Peter, Boreham, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, Kuen S.
• Application Number:
  US09/867,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20030078995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/220, 707/104.1, 707/3, 707/101, 707/100
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/962 Entity-attribute-value
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Class of Service (CoS) is a mechanism that allows a user to share attributes between directory entries in a way transparent to an application. A CoS scheme includes a CoS Definition entry and a CoS Template entry. These two entries interact to provide attribute values to target entries within their CoS “scope”. In Classic CoS, an attribute-value pair is matched with a target entry based on the target entry'"'"'s DN. The CoS Definition entry, which is stored as an LDAP subentry below the branch at which it is effective, identifies the type of CoS being used. The Template entry contains a list of attribute values that are shared. Any change made to the template entry'"'"'s attribute values is automatically applied to all entries that share the attribute.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a directory server comprising a plurality of entries, comprising:

creating the plurals of entries in the directory server;

creating a CoS scheme,

wherein the CoS scheme comprises a CoS definition entry and a CoS template entry,

wherein the CoS Definition entry has a CoS specifier and a value for the CoS specifier,

wherein the value of the CoS specifier in the CoS definition entry appears in the at least one of the plurality of entries as a first attribute type,

wherein the value of the first attribute type corresponds to a relative distinguishing name (RDN) of the CoS template entry associated with the CoS definition entry, and wherein the CoS template entry comprises at least one attribute value; and

configuring CoS logic to use the CoS scheme to provide the attribute value to at least one of the plurality of entries,

wherein the at least one of the plurality of target entries is within a scope of a parent of the CoS definition entry, and

wherein the directory server supports a Directory Access Protocol (DAP).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the COS definition entry comprises a list of attribute types, wherein the values associated with the list of attribute types are provided by the COS scheme using the COS template entry.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the CoS definition entry comprises a CoS specifier and a list of attributes, whereby a first one of the plurality of entries within a scope of a parent of the CoS definition entry obtains values for attributes provided in the CoS definition entry using an attribute with a distinguishing name (DN) value contained within the first one of the plurality of entries.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the DN points to a second one of a plurality of entries which is a valid entry.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the DN points to a second one of the plurality of entries which is a valid entry and the first one of the plurality of entries uses the second one of the plurality of entries as a template.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a directory server comprising;

a plurality of target entries;

a CoS scheme,

wherein the CoS scheme comprises a CoS definition entry and a CoS template entry,

wherein the CoS Definition entry has a CoS specifier and a value for the CoS specifier,

wherein the value of the CoS specifier in the CoS definition entry appears in the at least one of the plurality of entries as a first attribute type,

wherein the value of the first attribute type corresponds to a relative distinguishing name (RDN) of the CoS template entry associated with the CoS definition entry, and

wherein the CoS template entry comprises at least one attribute value; and

CoS logic configured to use the CoS scheme to provide the attribute value to at least one of the plurality of target entries,

wherein the at least one of the plurality of target entries is within a scope of a parent of the CoS definition entry, and

wherein the directory server supports a Directory Access Protocol (DAPS).

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the CoS definition entry comprises a list of attribute types, wherein values associated with the list of attribute types are provided by the CoS scheme using the CoS template entry.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the CoS definition entry comprises a CoS specifier and a list of attributes, whereby a first one of the plurality of target entries within a scope of a parent of the CoS definition entry obtains values for attributes provided in the CoS Definition entry using an attribute with a distinguishing name (DN) value contained within the first one of the plurality of target entries.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the DN points to a second one of the plurality of target entries which is a valid entry.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the DN points to a second one of the plurality of target entries which is a valid entry and the first one of the plurality of target entries uses the second one of the plurality of target entries as a template.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a directory server comprising;

a first entry;

a plurality of attribute-value pairs, wherein each of the plurality of attribute-values pairs is associated with one of a plurality of CoS template entries, and wherein each of the plurality of CoS template entries are associated with one of a plurality of CoS definition entries;

a component configured to receive a request for one of the plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with the first target entry;

a component configured to search the plurality of attribute-value pairs to obtain the requested one of the plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with the first target entry; and

a component configured to return the requested one of the plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with the first target entry,

wherein the first target entry is within a scope of a parent of the CoS definition entry.

12. The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the component configured to search the plurality of attribute-value pairs uses a set of constraints to obtain the requested one of the plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with the first target entry, wherein the set of constraints includes the scope.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the set of constraints comprises determining whether a CoS specifier associated with the requested one of the plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with the first target entry matches a CoS definition entry associated with requested one of the plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with the first target entry.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the set of constraints comprises determining whether requested one of the plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with the first target entry corresponds to an RDN of a CoS template entry associated with a CoS definition entry.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of attribute-value pairs uses an indirect CoS scheme.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the component configured to search the plurality of attribute-value pairs to obtain the requested one of the plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with the first target entry includes functionality to apply at least one constraint in a set of constraints to obtain the requested on of the plurality of attribute-value pairs.

17. The apparatus in claim 16, wherein applying the set of constraints determining whether a CoS specifier associated with the component configured to search the plurality of attribute-value pairs for the requested one of the plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with the first target entry matches a valid second target entry.

18. The apparatus as in claim 17, wherein the second target entry comprises an attribute provided by the indirect CoS scheme.