Abstract: A mechanism for managing a plurality of profile data structures where each profile data structure comprising a hierarchical structure of attributes. The mechanism includes a core profile service engine having a number of predefined built-in functions. A first pluggable interface within the core profile service supports runtime binding to remote protocol adapterso. A second pluggable interface within the core profiling service supports runtime binding to external datastore plug-ins. A third pluggable interface within the core profiling service supports runtime binding to external service plug-ins where the external service plug-ins provide functions for manipulating profile data structures in addition to built in functions provided by the core profile service.

Abstract: A technique for maintaining referential integrity between data records in any data architecture in which only a single copy is kept of any particular data record. The technique includes providing the ability to bind a data record to a parent data record by storing the data record in a manner associated with the parent record. If the data record then is bound to other parent data records, a link reference is used that is stored in an attribute of the data record, rather than associating another copy of the data record with the second parent data record. It is possible to bind any data record to any other data record, so circular relationships can be created. In addition, there are special methods used when a data record is to be deleted to make sure that all parents or children of that data record are considered, in order to update bind information or delete the children as may be appropriate.

Abstract: A mechanism for managing a plurality of profile data structures including a plurality of profile objects having an interface for sending and receiving information and a profile service mechanism having an interface for sending and receiving information. A protocol layer operatively coupled to the profile objects interface and the profile service interface, the protocol layer defining a plurality of request elements and a plurality of response elements. A protocol layer interface within the protocol layer receives user-entity specified set of request elements from the user entity and sends a responsive set of response elements to the user entity. A first set of methods within the profile service mechanism that create instances of the profile objects, where each of the first set of methods correspond to one of the request elements and one of the response elements.

Abstract: A profile service, instance is linked to a plurality of external data stores. Each external data store is associated with a predefined data store connector class that describes a connector object that establishes a link and provides methods to query the associated data store. An external data store profile is created in the profile service that names the connector class. An external data store reference object is created in the profile service instance that identifies the external data store profile and a number of parameters that specify particular data desired from the external data store. A profile within the profile service instance includes an attribute that names the data store reference object. When the attribute is evaluated, the data store reference object is instantiated, optionally using parameters specified at runtime, and passed as a parameter to an instance of the data store connector class identified by the external data store profile.