Reverse attribute pointers

• US 20080104029A1
• Filed: 11/01/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Values for virtual reverse attributes are generated for distinguished name entries in a lightweight directory access protocol directory by navigating through a list of distinguished name values for an input virtual recursive attribute. An attribute list of the values for the virtual reverse attributes may be cached or indexed. In another aspect, the list of distinguished name values for the inputer virtual recursive attribute is generated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an input virtual recursive attribute and an input value for a distinguished name entry, wherein the distinguished name entry corresponds to an object defined in a schema for a lightweight directory access protocol directory and the input virtual recursive attribute does not correspond to an object defined in the schema; and

generating an attribute list by navigating through a list of distinguished name values for the input virtual recursive attribute, wherein the generating comprises;

adding a distinguished name value in the list as an entry in the attribute list if the distinguished name value in the list matches the input value, wherein the attribute list defines values for a virtual reverse attribute that is not defined in the schema.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

outputting the attribute list as a response to a query that specifies the input virtual recursive attribute and the input value for the distinguished name entry.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

caching the attribute list.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating an index for the entries in the attribute list.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating the list of distinguished name values for the input virtual recursive attribute.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of distinguished name values is indexed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein an attribute list is created for each value of the virtual recursive attribute.

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

receiving an input virtual recursive attribute and an input value for a distinguished name entry, wherein the distinguished name entry corresponds to an object defined in a schema for a lightweight directory access protocol directory and the input virtual recursive attribute does not correspond to an object defined in the schema; and

generating an attribute list by navigating through a list of distinguished name values for the input virtual recursive attribute, wherein the generating comprises;

adding a distinguished name value in the list as an entry in the attribute list if the distinguished name value in the list matches the input value, wherein the attribute list defines values for a virtual reverse attribute that is not defined in the schema.

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

outputting the attribute list as a response to a query that specifies the input virtual recursive attribute and the input value for the distinguished name entry.

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

caching the attribute list.

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

generating an index for the entries in the attribute list.

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

generating the list of distinguished name values for the input virtual recursive attribute.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the list of distinguished name values is indexed.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein an attribute list is created for each value of the virtual recursive attribute.

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;

receiving an input virtual recursive attribute and an input value for a distinguished name entry, wherein the distinguished name entry corresponds to an object defined in a schema for a lightweight directory access protocol directory and the input virtual recursive attribute does not correspond to an object defined in the schema; and

generating an attribute list by navigating through a list of distinguished name values for the input virtual recursive attribute, wherein the generating comprises;

adding a distinguished name value in the list as an entry in the attribute list if the distinguished name value in the list matches the input value, wherein the attribute list defines values for a virtual reverse attribute that is not defined in the schema.

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

outputting the attribute list as a response to a query that specifies the input virtual recursive attribute and the input value for the distinguished name entry.

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

caching the attribute list.

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

generating an index for the entries in the attribute list.

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

generating the list of distinguished name values for the input virtual recursive attribute.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the list of distinguished name values is indexed.

21. The computer system of claim 15, wherein an attribute list is created for each value of the virtual recursive attribute.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an input virtual recursive attribute and an input value for a distinguished name entry, wherein the distinguished name entry corresponds to an object defined in a schema for a lightweight directory access protocol directory and the input virtual recursive attribute does not correspond to an object defined in the schema; and

means for generating an attribute list by navigating through a list of distinguished name values for the input virtual recursive attribute, wherein the generating adds a distinguished name value in the list as an entry in the attribute list if the distinguished name value in the list matches the input value, wherein the attribute list defines values for a virtual reverse attribute that is not defined in the schema.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for generating further caches the attribute list.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for generating further generates an index for the entries in the attribute list.