Lightweight Directory Access Protocol interface to directory assistance systems

#1. Technical Field

#This invention relates to the field of network directory services and, more particularly, to a system and method for interfacing a directory assistance system with a tree-based Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) interface.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#There are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a computer communications network linking a Directory Assistance (DA) system, an LDAP server and an LDAP client.

#FIG. 2 is a pictorial representation of a client computer suitable for hosting an LDAP client.

#A Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) interface to a Directory Assistance (DA) system can provide a layer of software integrated into an LDAP server which can map the LDAP schema to and from a proprietary DA system. Specifically, the LDAP interface can map the data contained in the DA system into an LDAP schema, even though the DA system data itself is not organized into an LDAP tree-like structure. In consequence, clients can access the DA system using a standard LDAP interface without exposing the proprietary nature of the information or compromising the security of the DA data.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a typical network environment 1 in which an LDAP interface to a DA system 20 can operate. This network environment 1 comprises a computer communications network 10 interconnecting client computers 12 and servers 14 where the servers include at least one LDAP server application 16 and at least one DA system application 18, although only a single client 12, single LDAP server 16 and a single DA system 18 are shown in the figure for ease of illustration. Typically, however, the network environment 1 could potentially comprise millions of clients 12 and thousands of LDAP servers 16 and DA systems 18.

#The computer communications network 10 can be any non-publicly accessible network such as a LAN (local area network) or WAN (wide area network), or preferably, the Internet. The interconnections between the LDAP servers 16, DA systems 18 and clients 12 can be thought of as virtual circuits that are established between the LDAP servers 16, DA systems 18 and the clients 12 for the express purpose of communication. In operation, clients 12 can establish a connection with an LDAP server 16 in order to transmit a request for data stored in the DA system 18 via the computer communications network 10. Typically, the data can be telecommunications related data, for instance a directory listing.