System for providing users with a filtered view of interactive network directory obtains from remote properties cache that provided by an on-line service

• US 6,901,433 B2
• Filed: 08/24/1998
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nolan, Sean P., Sanderman, David S., San Andres, Ramon J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US09/139,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20020124082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,472 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/225, 709/223, 707/10, 707/100, 707/201, 707/5, 707/1, 707/8, 707/103.R, 380/277, 713/164
• US Class Current: 709/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A distributed directory service for an on-line services network comprises multiple, separate services, referred to as “Directory Service Providers,” running on respective groups of application servers. Each Directory Service Provider stores and provides access to a respective hierarchical directory structure, with nodes of the directory structures representing the various on-line services and other content entities which may be accessed by end users of the network. Junction point nodes are used to provide user-transparent links between the different directory structures, so that the directory structures appear to end users as a single, hierarchical directory. A common application program interface (API) is implemented by all Directory Service Providers, allowing client applications running on computers of end users to access the different directory structures using a common set of software methods. Data items that are shared by multiple nodes, such as icon bitmaps and sound files, are optionally stored by the Directory Service Providers within a shared database (separately from the nodes), and are accessed via special API methods. Various forms of node filtering, including language-based filtering and access rights filtering, are performed by the Directory Service Providers to determine which nodes to show to end users.

Claims

1. A method for providing a filtered view of directory information of a hierarchical directory structure, the directory information stored as a plurality of content nodes, each content node comprising properties, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a client computer, the request directly or indirectly identifying a group of content nodes of the plurality of content nodes, the request comprising a filter limiting information to be returned to the client computer;

applying the filter to content nodes of the group to identify a subgroup of content nodes, the applying comprising comparing the filter to at least one property of the content nodes of the group; and

for at least one property of the content nodes of the subgroup of content nodes;

if the property is not stored in a remote properties cache, then retrieving the property from an on-line service and storing the retrieved property in the remote properties cache; and

returning the property to the client computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the content nodes represent on-line services and associated data of an on-line service network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the filter is selected from the group consisting of:

a language identifier filter, a geographic region filter, a list of identifiers of properties to be returned, and a list of identifiers of properties not to be returned.

4. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method for providing a filtered view of directory information of a hierarchical directory structure, the directory information stored as a plurality of content nodes, each content node comprising properties, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a client computer, the request directly or indirectly identifying a group of content nodes of the plurality of content nodes, the request comprising a filter limiting information to be returned to the client computer;

applying the filter to content nodes of the group to identify a subgroup of content nodes, the applying comprising comparing the filter to at least one property of the content nodes of the group; and

for at least one property of the content nodes of the subgroup of content nodes;

if the property is not stored in a remote properties cache, then retrieving the property from an on-line service and storing the retrieved property in the remote properties cache; and

returning the property to the client computer.

5. A method for returning a requested property of a content entity of an on-line services network, the content entity corresponding to an on-line service, the method comprising:

storing a list of local properties of the content entity on an application server, the list of properties comprising a textual description of the content entity;

providing a cache of remote properties on the application sewer, the remote properties provided by the on-line service;

receiving a request from a client application for a property of the content entity; and

in response to the request, if the requested property is stored on the application server, then retrieving the property and returning the property to the client application, else if the property is not stored on the application sewer, then calling the on-line service to obtain the property and storing the property in the remote properties cache.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

periodically deleting remote properties stored in the remote properties cache to keep the remote properties cache up-to-date.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the on-line service is implemented on a server separate from the application server.

8. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method for returning a requested property of a content entity of an on-line services network, the content entity corresponding to an on-line service, the method comprising:

storing a list of local properties of the content entity on an application server, the list of properties comprising a textual description of the content entity;

providing a cache of remote properties on the application server, the remote properties provided by the on-line service;

receiving a request from a client application for a property of the content entity; and

in response to the request, if the requested property is stored on the application server, then retrieving the property and returning the property to the client application, else if the property is not stored on the application server, then calling the on-line service to obtain the property and storing the property in the remote properties cache.

9. A directory service for a computer network, the directory service comprising:

a plurality of nodes stored within a hierarchical directory on at least one application server, the plurality of nodes representing and providing access to a plurality of online services, each node of the plurality of nodes comprising properties;

a service application running on at least one application server, the service application configured to return properties of the plurality of nodes in response to a request from a client application; and

an application program interface (API) provided by the service application, the API passing a variable-length list of property identifiers from a client application to the service application, the API allowing the client application to specify particular properties to be returned by the service application.

10. The directory service of claim 9 wherein the API passes a language filter from the client application to the service application to allow the client application to limit properties returned by the service application to properties of nodes of user-specified languages.

11. The directory service of claim 9 wherein the API passes a geographic region filter from the client application to the service application to allow the client application to limit properties returned by the service application to properties of nodes of user-specified geographic regions.

12. The directory service of claim 9 further comprising:

a plurality of shared data items stored on at least one application server separate from the plurality of nodes, each of the shared data items being shared by multiple nodes of the plurality of nodes, the shared data items being downloadable via the API.

13. The directory service of claim 12 wherein one of the shared data items is selected from the group consisting of:

icon bitmap, sound file, banner object, and download-and-run file.

14. The directory service of claim 9 further comprising:

a remote properties cache associated with the plurality of nodes, the remote properties cache storing properties of the plurality of nodes received from the plurality of online services.

15. The directory service of claim 14 wherein the remote properties cache stores properties received in response to a request from a client application.

16. The directory service of claim 14 wherein the properties stored in the remote properties cache are periodically deleted so that property data stored in the cache is kept current.

17. The directory service of claim 9 wherein the nodes stored within the hierarchical directory structure are stored as a directed acyclic graph.

18. The directory service of claim 9 wherein the service application is configured to return properties of the plurality of nodes in response to a request from a client application Wand only if a user of the client application is authorized to access the properties.