Xml data model for remote manipulation of directory data
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsMatthew S. Rimer, Richa N. Kumar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An XML data model and systems and methods for using the same are described herein that enable entities to interact with a remote directory service, such as an LDAP-style directory service, using industry standard Web services protocols that represent resources using XML, such as WS-Transfer and WS-Enumeration.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method for providing an object responsive to receiving a Web services protocol request message from an entity over a network, the Web services protocol for accessing resources represented using extensible markup language (XML), the method comprising:
- accessing a first representation of the object in a directory, the first representation of the object being organized in accordance with a hierarchical data model;
- generating a second representation of the object based on at least the first representation of the object, the second representation of the object being organized in accordance with an XML data model, by at least
- generating a first XML element that represents a most derived structural object class associated with the first representation of the object, and
- generating one or more second XML elements nested within the first XML element, each of the one or more second XML elements naming a respective attribute associated with the first representation of the object;
- and
- transmitting a Web services protocol response message including the second representation of the object to the entity over the network.
A computer-implemented method for writing an object responsive to receiving a Web services protocol request message from an entity over a network, the Web services protocol for accessing resources represented using extensible markup language (XML), the method comprising:
- obtaining a first representation of the object included within the Web services protocol request message, the first representation of the object being organized in accordance with an XML data model;
- generating a second representation of the object based on the first representation of the object, the second representation of the object being organized in accordance with a hierarchical data model, by at least
- determining a most derived structural object class associated with the second representation of the object based on a first XML element included within the first representation of the object, and
- determining one or more attributes associated with the second representation of the object named by one or more respective second XML elements nested within the first XML element;
- and
- writing the object in a directory based on the second representation of the object.
A system comprising:
- a Web services interface configured to receive a first Web services protocol request message from an entity over a network, the Web services protocol for accessing resources represented using extensible markup language (XML);
- directory service logic configured to access a first representation of a first object identified in the first Web services protocol request message in a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory, the first representation of the first object being organized in accordance with a hierarchical data model;
- and
- conversion logic configured to generate a second representation of the first object based on at least the first representation of the first object, the second representation of the first object including a first XML element that represents a most derived structural object class associated with the first representation of the first object and one or more second XML elements nested within the first XML element, each of the one or more second XML elements naming a respective attribute associated with the first representation of the first object;
- wherein the Web services interface is further configured to transmit a Web services protocol response message including the second representation of the first object to the entity over the network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.