Abstract: A set of DSML application programming interface (DSML API) functions is provided to facilitate the implementation of DSML-based directory service access. The DSML API includes a DSML document API class for building or accessing a DSML payload, and a DSML connection API class that handles connection and transport to a DSML server. To access a directory service, the client calls functions of the DSML document API class to generate a DSML request payload, and calls functions of the DSML connection API to transport a packet with the DSML request payload according to a pre-selected connection protocol, such as SOAP, to the DSML server for forwarding to the directory service.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may include a method and system for creating an attendance marker and establishing consistent recognition of an ongoing digital relationship, including receiving an identity key about a server, creating an attendance marker, associating the attendance marker with the server. Other embodiments relate to systems and methods for recognizing a server, website, and/or other system for a client, such as a computer system for a user. Such authentication involves receiving an identity key about a web server or other system, creating an attendance marker, associating the attendance marker with the server, requesting an attendance marker associated with a server, and recognizing the server based at least in part on the attendance marker.

Abstract: A set of DSML application programming interface (DSML API) functions is provided to facilitate the implementation of DSML-based directory service access. The DSML API includes a DSML document API class for building or accessing a DSML payload, and a DSML connection API class that handles connection and transport to a DSML server. To access a directory service, the client calls functions of the DSML document API class to generate a DSML request payload, and calls functions of the DSML connection API to transport a packet with the DSML request payload according to a pre-selected connection protocol, such as SOAP, to the DSML server for forwarding to the directory service.

Abstract: In the present invention, data relating to principals known to a computer system is centrally stored and objects having a standardized principal application programming interface (API) for finding, managing and accessing that data is provided to applications in lieu of having the applications independently store the principal data. The present invention eliminates the need for each application to create duplicate principal data. It also ensures that principal data are consistent throughout the applications on the computer system. In addition, the present invention allows any application with objects having the principal API to manage and change the principal data making such principal data easy to update. The principal API includes methods to find principals based on an identity reference to a principal or an identity claim that uniquely identifies the principal on computer system.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may include a method and system for providing information to a user and safely disclosing identity information over the Internet comprising receiving information from a server, analyzing the information, presenting the analyzed information to a user for validation in a finite number of configurations controlled by a client, and validating of the information by the user.

Abstract: A set of DSML application programming interface (DSML API) functions is provided to facilitate the implementation of DSML-based directory service access. The DSML API includes a DSML document API class for building or accessing a DSML payload, and a DSML connection API class that handles connection and transport to a DSML server. To access a directory service, the client calls functions of the DSML document API class to generate a DSML request payload, and calls functions of the DSML connection API to transport a packet with the DSML request payload according to a pre-selected connection protocol, such as SOAP, to the DSML server for forwarding to the directory service.

Abstract: A method and system for accessing network directory data as uses a Web service as an interface between a directory database and network clients. To support extensibility of the object types in the directory database, directory access methods are defined for a generic object class from which classes for different directory object types are derived. A description of the object classes and database operation methods is provided by the Web service to the client. To access the directory database, the runtime environment of the client is used to create objects on which a requested directory operation method operates according to the proper class definitions of the object types. The request with serialized objects is sent to the Web service, which then uses information provided by the objects in the request to access the directory database to carry out the requested directory operation method.

Abstract: In the present invention, data relating to principals known to a computer system is centrally stored and objects having a standardized principal application programming interface (API) for finding, managing and accessing that data is provided to applications in lieu of having the applications independently store the principal data. The present invention eliminates the need for each application to create duplicate principal data. It also ensures that principal data are consistent throughout the applications on the computer system. In addition, the present invention allows any application with objects having the principal API to manage and change the principal data making such principal data easy to update. The principal API includes methods to find principals based on an identity reference to a principal or an identity claim that uniquely identifies the principal on computer system.

Abstract: In the present invention, data relating to principals known to a computer system is centrally stored and objects having a standardized principal application programming interface (API) for finding, managing and accessing that data is provided to applications in lieu of having the applications independently store the principal data. The present invention eliminates the need for each application to create duplicate principal data. It also ensures that principal data are consistent throughout the applications on the computer system. In addition, the present invention allows any application with objects having the principal API to manage and change the principal data making such principal data easy to update. The principal API includes methods to find principals based on an identity reference to a principal or an identity claim that uniquely identifies the principal on computer system.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may include a method and system for providing information to a user and safely disclosing identity information over the Internet comprising receiving information from a server, analyzing the information, presenting the analyzed information to a user for validation in a finite number of configurations controlled by a client, and validating of the information by the user.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may include a method and system for creating an attendance marker and establishing consistent recognition of an ongoing digital relationship, including receiving an identity key about a server, creating an attendance marker, associating the attendance marker with the server. Other embodiments relate to systems and methods for recognizing a server, website, and/or other system for a client, such as a computer system for a user. Such authentication involves receiving an identity key about a web server or other system, creating an attendance marker, associating the attendance marker with the server, requesting an attendance marker associated with a server, and recognizing the server based at least in part on the attendance marker.

Abstract: A system and method of network administration uniformly exposes the administrative interfaces of network services to facilitate network administration. Each service has published, in a network directory service, an object comprising information relevant to the service. An administrative tool is able to harvest information from the object and use it to automatically invoke a service-specific tool. The service-specific tool is able to locate and communicate with the service by using information passed to the service-specific tool from the administrative tool.

Abstract: Extensions for directory service interfaces are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a directory, one or more directory services for the directory, and a directory services interface that provides a common abstract interface to each of the directory services. Furthermore, a directory services interface extension of the system provides the directory services interface with an extended functionality.

Abstract: Information is retrieved from a directory service via a Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP) Universal Resource Locator (URL) query string which is parsed by a diverting module. The diverting module parses the HTTP URL query string into a plurality of portions. The diverting module constructs a directory service compatible query from the plurality of portions and requests information from the directory service with the directory service compatible query.

Abstract: Information is retrieved from a directory service via a Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP) Universal Resource Locator (URL) query string which is parsed by a diverting module. The diverting module parses the HTTP URL query string into a plurality of portions. The diverting module constructs a directory service compatible query from the plurality of portions and requests information from the directory service with the directory service compatible query.

Abstract: A method and system for accessing objects in a network database uses a location path expression in a database query to indicate how the desired data may be located. Relationships linking attributes of the database objects are defined as path links to allow the viewing of different types of relations among the object attributes using the same set of data, i.e., in a polyarchical manner. Location path expressions are formed based on the defined path links between the object attributes. Each location path expression includes a view name that specifies a relationship to be used to view the data, and path elements identifying a path to the desired data based on the path links provided by the relationship. A search engine is provided to parse the location path string and carry the search operation for the requested data.

Abstract: In the present invention, data relating to principals known to a computer system is centrally stored and objects having a standardized principal application programming interface (API) for finding, managing and accessing that data is provided to applications in lieu of having the applications independently store the principal data. The present invention eliminates the need for each application to create duplicate principal data. It also ensures that principal data are consistent throughout the applications on the computer system. In addition, the present invention allows any application with objects having the principal API to manage and change the principal data making such principal data easy to update. The principal API includes methods to find principals based on an identity reference to a principal or an identity claim that uniquely identifies the principal on computer system.

Abstract: A method and system for accessing network directory data as uses a Web service as an interface between a directory database and network clients. To support extensibility of the object types in the directory database, directory access methods are defined for a generic object class from which classes for different directory object types are derived. A description of the object classes and database operation methods is provided by the Web service to the client. To access the directory database, the runtime environment of the client is used to create objects on which a requested directory operation method operates according to the proper class definitions of the object types. The request with serialized objects is sent to the Web service, which then uses information provided by the objects in the request to access the directory database to carry out the requested directory operation method.

Abstract: A method and system for accessing objects in a network database uses a location path expression in a database query to indicate how the desired data may be located. Relationships linking attributes of the database objects are defined as path links to allow the viewing of different types of relations among the object attributes using the same set of data, i.e., in a polyarchical manner. Location path expressions are formed based on the defined path links between the object attributes. Each location path expression includes a view name that specifies a relationship to be used to view the data, and path elements identifying a path to the desired data based on the path links provided by the relationship. A search engine is provided to parse the location path string and carry the search operation for the requested data.

Abstract: A directory interface utilizes a mapping of class properties to directory attributes to translate a request that does not employ the directory schema, syntax, and programming model to a request that does employ the directory schema, syntax, and programming model, and to translate returned results back to a format that does not employ the directory schema, syntax, and programming model. The mapping may be effectuated via metadata tagging of classes. A graphical mapping tool allows a user to easily complete desired mappings without the user being required to enumerate all of the relevant classes and/or attributes.