Dynamic views based on LDAP

• US 7,734,611 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2006
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Rowley, Peter A., Parkinson, Steven W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo; James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moser; Bruce M
• Application Number:
  US11/591,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20080104087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/100, 707/102, 707/999.001, 707/999.003, 707/999.1, 707/999.102
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]

Abstract

Subviews are generated for each unique value in a list of unique values for an attribute that is defined by a dynamic view object in a schema for a lightweight directory access protocol directory. The subviews are maintained by adding and deleting entries as the values for the attribute change. If a change in value causes the subview to have no entries, the subview is deleted.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by a view service module of a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) directory server that performs directory queries on an LDAP database, a list of unique values for an attribute, the attribute defined by a dynamic view object in a schema for the LDAP directory server;

generating, by the view service module, a subview for each unique value in the generated list, wherein the subview is a list of one or more distinguished name (DN) entries that contain the unique value, and wherein the list of unique values and the subview for each unique value are generated without the view service module having to maintain a static structure for each of the list of unique values and the subview for each unique value in a directory information tree (DIT) of the LDAP server; and

utilizing, by the view service module, all of the generated subviews to create a cross-relational view for presentation to a human user, wherein the cross-relational view includes a list of alternate hierarchical tree views for a selected DN entry of one of the subviews and wherein a human user selects at least one of the alternate hierarchical tree views to view.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

searching the subview for a particular value of the attribute in response to a change in the value of the attribute in a current distinguished name entry; and

deleting the subview if the current distinguished name is the only entry.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a new unique value to the list of unique values; and

generating a subview for the new unique value.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the subview in a directory information tree for the directory.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating an index for the dynamic view, wherein each subview is an entry in the index.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute is a virtual attribute.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a cascading subview hierarchy is generated if the dynamic view object comprises an ordered list of attribute types, with each level in hierarchy corresponding to an attribute type in the list.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions to cause a processor to execute a process comprising:

generating a list of unique values for an attribute, the attribute defined by a dynamic view object in a schema for a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) directory;

generating a subview for each unique value in the generated list, wherein the subview is a list of one or more distinguished name (DN) entries that contain the unique value, and wherein the list of unique values and the subview for each unique value are generated without having to maintain a static structure for each of the list of unique values and the subview for each unique value in a directory information tree (DIT); and

utilizing all of the generated subviews to create a cross-relational view for presentation to a human user, wherein the cross-relational view includes a list of alternate hierarchical tree views for a selected DN entry of one of the subviews and wherein a human user selects at least one of the alternate hierarchical tree views to view.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the process further comprises:

searching the subview for a particular value of the attribute in response to a change in the value of the attribute in a current distinguished name entry; and

deleting the subview if the current distinguished name is the only entry.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the process further comprises:

adding a new unique value to the list of unique values; and

generating a subview for the new unique value.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the process further comprises:

storing the subview in a directory information tree for the directory.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the process further comprises:

generating an index for the dynamic view, wherein each subview is an entry in the index.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the attribute is a virtual attribute.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein a cascading subview hierarchy is generated if the dynamic view object comprises an ordered list of attribute types, with each level in hierarchy corresponding to an attribute type in the list.

15. A computer system comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

instructions executed from the memory by the processor to cause the processor to perform a process comprising;

generating a list of unique values for an attribute, the attribute defined by a dynamic view object in a schema for a lightweight directory access protocol directory;

generating a subview for each unique value in the list, wherein the subview is a list of one or more distinguished name (DN) entries that contain the unique value, and wherein the list of unique values and the subview for each unique value are generated without having to maintain a static structure for each of the list of unique values and the subview for each unique value in a directory information tree (DIT); and

utilizing all of the generated subviews to create a cross-relational view for presentation to a human user, wherein the cross-relational view includes a list of alternate hierarchical tree views for a selected DN entry of one of the subviews and wherein a human user selects at least one of the alternate hierarchical tree views to view.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the process further comprises:

searching the subview for a particular value of the attribute in response to a change in the value of the attribute in a current distinguished name entry; and

deleting the subview if the current distinguished name is the only entry.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the process further comprises:

adding a new unique value to the list of unique values; and

generating a subview for the new unique value.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the process further comprises:

storing the subview in a directory information tree for the directory.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the process further comprises:

generating an index for the dynamic view, wherein each subview is an entry in the index.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the attribute is a virtual attribute.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein a cascading subview hierarchy is generated if the dynamic view object comprises an ordered list of attribute types, with each level in hierarchy corresponding to an attribute type in the list.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) storage device to store an LDAP database; and

a LDAP server that performs directory queries on the LDAP database, the LDAP server including a view service module configured to;

generate a list of unique values for an attribute of the LDAP database, the attribute defined by a dynamic view object in a schema for the LDAP directory server;

generate a subview for each unique value in the list, wherein the subview is a list of one or more distinguished name (DN) entries of the LDAP database that contain the unique value, and wherein the list of unique values and the subview for each unique value are generated without the view service module having to maintain a static structure for each of the list of unique values and the subview for each unique value in a directory information tree (DIT) of the LDAP server; and

utilize all of the generated subviews to create a cross-relational view for presentation to a human user, wherein the cross-relational view includes a list of alternate hierarchical tree views for a selected DN entry of one of the subviews and wherein a human user selects at least one of the alternate hierarchical tree views to view.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the view service module further configured to:

search the subview for a particular value of the attribute in response to a change in the value of the attribute in a current distinguished name entry; and

delete the subview if the current distinguished name is the only entry.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the view service module further configured to:

add a new unique value to the list of unique values, wherein the means for generating a subview generates a subview for the new unique value.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the view service module further configured to:

generate an index for the dynamic view, wherein each subview is an entry in the index.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the view service module configured to generate a subview further comprises the view service module configured to generate a cascading subview hierarchy if the dynamic view object comprises an ordered list of attribute types, with each level in hierarchy corresponding to an attribute type in the list.