Method and system for implementing policies, resources and privileges for using services in LDAP

A method for providing service attribute information comprising:

• a) maintaining a hierarchical data structure in a directory server, said hierarchical data structure associating users with service attributes through data inheritance, said hierarchical data structure comprising an organization level and a role level and further comprising attribute templates defined with respect to services and levels
• b) generating a query to said directory server for a service attribute of a particular user for a particular application, said b) performed by said particular application;
• and
• c) in response to said query, using inheritance rules from said hierarchical data structure to determine and report a service attribute for said particular user for said application, said c) performed by said directory server.

A system for providing service attribute information comprising:

• a directory server comprising a hierarchical data structure associating users with service attributes through data inheritance, said hierarchical data structure comprising an organization level and a first role level associated to said organization level and further comprising a first attribute template defined for said role level with respect to said application;
• an application for generating a query to said directory server for a service attribute of a particular user for said application;
• and
• wherein said directory server, in response to said query, is for using inheritance rules from said hierarchical data structure to determine and report a service attribute for said particular user for said application.