Extending a directory schema independent of schema modification

• US 7,359,907 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thompson, Robert Dan, Al-Hilali, Hilal, Wong, Felix W., Cameron, Kim, Booth, James H., Benson, Max L., Fischer, Jonathan A., MacLeod, Stewart P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Daye; Chelcie L.
• Application Number:
  US10/929,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20050027734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/104.1, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Systems and methods for extending a directory schema independent of schema modification are described. In one aspect, a directory schema data structure includes a flexible attribute data field. The flexible attribute data field identifies a complex data type. The complex data type is used to express one or more operational or data providing properties of a flexible attribute. The one or more operational or data providing properties are independent of the complex data type and independent of directory schema modification. The directory schema data structure also includes a flexible structural object content class to encapsulate the flexible attribute.

Claims

1. A computer-readable media comprising:

a directory schema data structure, the directory schema data structure comprising;

a flexible attribute data field that indicates a complex data type. the complex data type being used to express various operational or data providing properties of a flexible attribute, the various operational or data providing properties being indevendent of the complex data type and independent of directory schema modification;

a flexible structural object content class comprising the flexible attribute; and

wherein the flexible attribute data field provides, independent of modification to the directory schema, for application instantiation of first and second objects based on the flexible attribute, the fir st and second objects for instantiation into a directory database based on the directory schema, the first object being defined with a different number of data elements as compared to a number of data elements in the second object, the application instantiation not contributing to data sparsity of the directory database.

2. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the directory schema is independent from any values that an object instance comprising the flexible attribute may store.

3. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the directory schema data structure further comprises:

a top abstract class; and

a

class schema derived from the top abstract class; and

wherein the flexible structural object content class is derived from the class schema.

4. The computer-readable media of claim 3, wherein the top abstract class compnses:

an access control list attribute based on a directory protocol;

or

directory schema extension data for instantiating a directory schema.

5. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the directory schema data structure ftrther comprises:

a top abstract class; and

an attribute schema class derived from the top abstract class, the attribute schema class being used to derive structural content class objects.

6. The computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the attribute schema class provides one or more of the following properties:

a common name for forming a relative distinguished name, a directory access protocol name unique across all class schema object(s), a text description of an attribute for use in an administrative tool, an indication of whether or how the attribute is indexed, an indication of whether the attribute is replicated to a global catalog, attribute modification allowance(s), identification of an object class for which the attribute is an instance, a syntax identifier for the attribute, a directory service representation of the syntax, an object identifier of the attribute, attribute access control data, lower and upper bounds of a range of values for the attribute, and an indication of whether the attribute is a linked attribute.

7. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the flexible attribute provides for extending the directory schema without modifying the directory schema.

8. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein extending the directory schema comprises creating new structural object classes or attributes in the directory schema without modifying the directory schema.

9. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the flexible attribute is a text string data type that can be assigned any value or meaning completely independent of an actual data type or a syntax of the attribute.

10. The computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the text string data type represents a complex data structure, a declarative condition, a number, text, punctuation, a sequence of operations, or an operational status.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the text string data type is expressed with a markup language.

12. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising a directory schema data structure; and

wherein the directory schema data structure comprises;

a flexible attribute data field that indicates a complex data type, the complex data type being used to express various operational or data providing properties of a flexible attribute, the various operational or data providing properties being independent of the complex data type and independent of directory schema modification;

a flexible structural object content class comprising the flexible attribute; and

wherein the flexible attribute data field provides, independent of modification to the directory schema, for application instantiation of first and second objects based on the flexible attribute, the first and second objects for instantiation into a directory database based on the directory schema, the first object being defined with a different number of data elements as compared to a number of data elements in the second object, the application instantiation not contributing to data sparsity of the directory database.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the directory schema is independent from any values that an object instance comprising the flexible attribute may store.

14. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the directory schema data structure further comprises:

a top abstract class; and

a

class schema derived from the top abstract class; and

wherein the flexible structural object content class is derived from the class schema.

15. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the top abstract class comprises:

an access control list attribute based on a directory protocol;

or

directory schema extension data for instantiating a directory schema.

16. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the directory schema data structure further comprises:

a top abstract class; and

an attribute schema class derived from the top abstract class, the attribute schema class being used to derive structural content class objects.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the attribute schema class provides one or more of the following properties:

a common name for forming a relative distinguished name, a directory access protocol name unique across all class schema object(s), a text description of an attribute for use in an administrative tool, an indication of whether or how the attribute is indexed, an indication of whether the attribute is replicated to a global catalog, attribute modification allowance(s), identification of an object class for which the attribute is an instance, a syntax identifier for the attribute, a directory service representation of the syntax, an object identifier of the attribute, attribute access control data, lower and upper bounds of a range of values for the attribute, and an indication of whether the attribute is a linked attribute.

18. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the flexible attribute provides for extending the directory schema without modifying the directory schema.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein extending the directory schema comprises creating new structural object classes or attributes in the directory schema without modifying the directory schema.

20. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the flexible attribute is a text string data type that can be assigned any value or meaning completely independent of an actual data type or a syntax of the attribute.

21. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the text string data type represents a complex data structure, a declarative condition, a number, text, punctuation, a sequence of operations, or an operational status.

22. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the text string data type is expressed with a markup language.