US 8,135,687 B2 · Rule validator of an attribute rule enforcer for a directory

Abstract

An attribute rule enforcer evaluates the attributes of a call to add, modify, or delete information in a directory, such as a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) directory. The attribute rule enforcer determines if the attributes of the call comply with predetermined rules governing the directory's content. The directory attribute rule enforcer may be located at the front end of the directory's access server, and intercepts calls to the directory access server. If the directory attribute rule enforcer determines that the attributes of a call complies with the rules governing the content of the directory, it will forward the call to the directory's access server for action. If, on the other hand, the directory attribute rule enforcer determines that the attributes of a call do not comply with the rules governing the content of the directory, the attribute rule enforcer will reject the call. Further, it may forward an appropriate error message to the source of the call.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a rule validator of an attribute rule enforcer for a directory, wherein the rule validator is interposed between a client and a directory access server for providing access to the directory, the rule validator is configured to determine whether an attribute of a client request complies with a first rule governing content of data that is permissible to be forwarded to the directory access server and a second rule governing structure of data that is permissible to be forwarded to the directory access server, the rule validator is further configured to forward the request to the directory access server when the attribute complies with the first rule and the second rule and being further configured to reject the request to the directory access server and return an error message to a source of the request when the attribute does not comply with the first rule and the second rule, the rule validator is further configured to reply to a beacon signal received from a master rule validator, and the rule validator is further configured to issue a kill signal to a master rule validator in response to an indication the master rule validator has stopped functioning;
and
a configuration file for use by said rule validator, the configuration file containing a plurality of parameters corresponding to the first and second rules.

A computer-implemented method of validating rules with an attribute rule enforcer for a directory, the method of validating rules comprising:

determining whether an attribute of a client request complies with a first rule governing content of data that is permissible to be forwarded to the directory access server and a second rule governing structure of data that is permissible to be forwarded to the directory access server,
forwarding the request to the directory access server when the attribute complies with the first rule and the second rule;
rejecting the request to the directory access server and returning an error message to a source of the request when the attribute does not comply with the first rule and the second rule;
detecting that the port to which the rule validator is to bind is in use by a master rule validator and configuring the rule validator in a backup mode;
replying to a beacon signal received from the master rule validator;
and
issuing a kill signal to the master rule validator in response to an indication that the master rule validator has stopped functioning.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Rule validator of an attribute rule enforcer for a directory

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Rule validator of an attribute rule enforcer for a directory

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14