Method and apparatus for configuring access to a plurality of data repositories

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 , wherein signaling a selection for one or more data objects from the specified data repository includes: modifying the one or more data objects from the specified data repository using the reconfigured request.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 , wherein signaling a selection for one or more data objects from specified data repository includes: deleting the selected one or more data objects from the specified data repository using the reconfigured request.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 , wherein signaling a selection for one or more data objects from the specified data repository includes: creating one or more data objects using the reconfigured request, the data objects being created in the specified data repository according to the configuration for the data objects in the specified data repository.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying metadata based on the parameter in the request includes accessing a storage medium to retrieve metadata specified by the parameter in the request.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving metadata includes identifying, from the request, metadata that characterizes a configuration for data objects in each data repository, the configuration of each data repository indicating a class of data objects in each data repository that share an attribute.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving metadata includes identifying, from the request, metadata that characterizes a configuration for data objects in each data repository, the configuration of each data repository indicating an auxiliary class of data objects.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving metadata includes identifying a metadata structure from the request that identifies a plurality of auxiliary classes for each data repository; and wherein signaling a selection for one or more data objects includes determining whether the parameter is a valid feature of at least one of the plurality of auxiliary classes.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 , further comprising: identifying one or more auxiliary classes for each data repository, each auxiliary class including at least one data object having an attribute and a value for that attribute, the value for that attribute further being modified by an auxiliary value that can only be associated with the attribute by modifying the value of that attribute; and associating a metadata structure with each auxiliary class; wherein retrieving metadata includes identifying the metadata structure from the request that identifies the one or more auxiliary classes for each data repository; and wherein signaling a selection includes signaling a selection for one or more data objects from the plurality of data repositories including determining whether the parameter is valid for the attribute, the value for the attribute, or the auxiliary value for the attribute.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving metadata includes identifying, from the request, metadata that characterizes a configuration for data objects in each data repository, the configuration of each data repository indicating select data objects of each data repository that are linked to other data objects.

Claim 12

The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving metadata includes identifying, from the request, metadata that identifies a plurality of linked data objects for each data repository, each of the plurality of linked data objects referencing another data object in the data repository; and wherein the method further includes associating the metadata structure with the plurality of linked data objects.

Claim 13

The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving metadata includes identifying, from the request, a metadata structure that identifies a plurality of linked data objects for each data repository, each linked data object referencing a counterpart data object in the data repository; and wherein signaling a selection includes signaling a selection for one or more linked data objects, and using the metadata structure to identify the counterpart data object referenced by each linked data object.

Claim 14

The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving metadata includes, from the request, a metadata structure that identifies an inheritable attribute for a plurality of data objects in at least one of the plurality of data repositories, the inheritable attribute being located in at least one superior data object; and wherein signaling a selection includes determining that the parameter specifies the inheritable attribute, and selecting a class of data objects that share the inheritable attribute.

Claim 15

A computer system coupleable to an application and to a plurality of data repositories, the application signaling the computer system a request to access a plurality of data objects from a particular data repository of the plurality of data repositories, the computer system comprising: a storage medium that stores a plurality of metadata structures that each characterizes a configuration of multiple data objects in a respective data repository; and a processing resource that is configured to identify and use a first metadata structure from the plurality of metadata structures to select one or more data objects from the particular data repository in response to an application request to access data objects from the particular data repository.

Claim 16

A computer system coupleable to an application and to a plurality of data repositories, the application signaling the computer system a request to access a plurality of data objects from a particular data repository of the plurality of data repositories, the computer system comprising: a storage medium that stores a plurality of metadata structures that each characterizes a configuration of multiple data objects in a respective data repository; and a processing resource that is configured to identify and use a first metadata structure from the plurality of metadata structures to select one or more data objects from the particular data repository in response to an application request to access data objects from the particular data repository.

Claim 17

The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the metadata structure characterizes, for each data repository, a configuration for how select data objects relate to other data objects in the plurality of data objects of that data repository.

Claim 18

The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the first metadata structure includes a plurality of metadata items, and wherein the processing resource identifies a parameter in the request, uses the parameter to identify a first metadata item in the first metadata structure, and selects the one or more data objects using the first metadata item.

Claim 19

The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the metadata structure includes a plurality of metadata items, and wherein the processing resource identifies a parameter in the request, uses the parameter to identify a first metadata item in the metadata structure, selects the one or more data objects using the first metadata item, and performs an operation specified in the request to access the data repositories on the selected one or more data objects.

Claim 20

The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the first metadata structure identifies data objects in each data repository that are linked to other data objects.

Claim 21

The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the first metadata structure identifies one or more linked data objects in the data repositories, the linked data objects referencing other data objects in the data repository, and wherein the first metadata structure identifies the other data objects references by the linked data objects.

Claim 22

The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the first metadata structure identifies one or more linked data objects in the data repositories, the linked data objects referencing other data objects in the data repository, and wherein the first metadata structure identifies the other data objects references by the linked data objects, and wherein the processing resources identify an operation from the request to access the plurality of data repositories, and wherein the processing resources implement that operation on the linked data objects and the other data objects that reference the linked data objects.

Claim 23

The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the first metadata structure identifies an auxiliary class of data objects in the plurality of data objects of each data repository, the auxiliary class of data objects including an auxiliary characteristic that modifies and is dependent on another characteristic of a data object in the auxiliary class of data objects.

Claim 24

The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the first metadata structure identifies an auxiliary class of data objects in the plurality of data objects of each data repository, the auxiliary class of data objects including an auxiliary characteristic that modifies and is dependent on another characteristic of a data object in the auxiliary class of data objects, and wherein the processing resource identifies a parameter in the request, uses the parameter to identify the auxiliary class for one or more of the data repositories, and selects the one or more data objects that are in the auxiliary class.

Claim 25

The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the first metadata structure identifies an auxiliary class of data objects in the plurality of data objects of each data repository, the auxiliary class of data objects including an auxiliary characteristic that modifies and is dependent on another characteristic of a data object in the auxiliary class of data objects, and wherein the processing resource identifies a parameter in the request, uses the parameter to identify the auxiliary class for one or more of the data repositories, selects the one or more data objects that are in the auxiliary class, and performs an operation identified by the request to access the data repositories on the one or more data objects in the auxiliary class.

Claim 26

The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the first metadata structure identifies an inheritable attribute shared by data objects in an object class of each data repository.

Claim 27

The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the first metadata structure identifies an inheritable attribute shared by data objects in an object class, and wherein the first metadata structure identifies a superior data object class and a subordinate object class for the object class having the inheritable attribute.

Claim 28

The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the first metadata structure identifies an inheritable attribute shared by data objects in an object class, and identifies a superior data object and a subordinate object class for the object class having the inheritable attribute, and wherein the processing resources are configured to identify the inheritable attribute from the request, to identify an operation specified in the request, to identify the object class having the inheritable attribute, and to apply the operation to the object class having the inheritable attribute.

Claim 29

A computer-readable medium carrying sequences of instructions for accessing data objects from a data repository from a plurality of data repositories that provide a plurality of data objects, the sequences of instructions including instructions for performing the steps of: receiving a request to access data objects stored in a specified one of the plurality of data repositories, the request including a parameter that specifies the data objects; wherein at least two of the plurality of data repositories are configured with different data objects and data object relationships; identifying, based on the parameter, metadata that characterizes at least a portion of the data objects in the specified data repository, from a plurality of metadata that each characterizes a configuration for the data objects in a data repository; retrieving the metadata that characterizes at least a portion of the plurality of data objects in the specified data repository; generating, based on the metadata that characterizes at least a portion of the plurality of data objects in the specified data repository, a reconfigured request to access the data objects stored in the specified data repository; and using the reconfigured request, signaling a selection for one or more data objects from the specified data repository.

Claim 30

A computer-readable medium carrying sequences of instructions for accessing data objects from a data repository from a plurality of data repositories that provide a plurality of data objects, the sequences of instructions including instructions for performing the steps of: receiving a request to access data objects stored in a specified one of the plurality of data repositories, the request including a parameter that specifies the data objects; wherein at least two of the plurality of data repositories are configured with different data objects and data object relationships; identifying, based on the parameter, metadata that characterizes at least a portion of the data objects in the specified data repository, from a plurality of metadata that each characterizes a configuration for the data objects in a data repository; retrieving the metadata that characterizes at least a portion of the plurality of data objects in the specified data repository; generating, based on the metadata that characterizes at least a portion of the plurality of data objects in the specified data repository, a reconfigured request to access the data objects stored in the specified data repository; and using the reconfigured request, signaling a selection for one or more data objects from the specified data repository.

Claim 31

The computer medium of claim 27 , further comprising instructions for performing the steps of: modifying the one or more data objects from the specified data repository using the reconfigured request.

Claim 32

The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , further comprising instructions for performing the steps of: deleting the selected one or more data objects from the specified data repository using the reconfigured request.

Claim 33

The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , further comprising instructions for performing the steps of: creating one or more data objects using the reconfigured request, the data objects being created in the specified data repository according to the configuration for the data objects in the specified data repository.

Claim 34

A computer system for accessing data objects from a data repository from a plurality of data repositories that provide a plurality of data objects, the computer system comprising: means for receiving a request to access data objects stored in a specified one of the plurality of data repositories, the request including a parameter that specifies the data objects; wherein at least two of the plurality of data repositories are configured with different data objects and data object relationships; means for identifying, based on the parameter, metadata that characterizes at least a portion of the data objects in the specified data repository, from a plurality of metadata that each characterizes a configuration for the data objects in a data repository; means for retrieving the metadata that characterizes at least a portion of the plurality of data objects in the specified data repository; means for generating based on the metadata that characterizes at least a portion of the plurality of data objects in the specified data repository, a reconfigured request to access the data objects stored in the specified data repository; and means for using the reconfigured request to signal a selection for one or more data objects from the specified data repository.

Claim 35

A computer system for accessing data objects from a data repository from a plurality of data repositories that provide a plurality of data objects, the computer system comprising: means for receiving a request to access data objects stored in a specified one of the plurality of data repositories, the request including a parameter that specifies the data objects; wherein at least two of the plurality of data repositories are configured with different data objects and data object relationships; means for identifying, based on the parameter, metadata that characterizes at least a portion of the data objects in the specified data repository, from a plurality of metadata that each characterizes a configuration for the data objects in a data repository; means for retrieving the metadata that characterizes at least a portion of the plurality of data objects in the specified data repository; means for generating based on the metadata that characterizes at least a portion of the plurality of data objects in the specified data repository, a reconfigured request to access the data objects stored in the specified data repository; and means for using the reconfigured request to signal a selection for one or more data objects from the specified data repository.

Claim 36

The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of data repositories store hierarchical directories of data objects.

Claim 37

The method of claim 32 , wherein the hierarchical directories are accessible using the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).

Claim 38

The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the plurality of data repositories store hierarchical directories of data objects.

Claim 39

The computer-readable medium of claim 34 , wherein the hierarchical directories are accessible using the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).

Claim 44

The method of claim 37 , wherein the plurality of data repositories store hierarchical directories of data objects.

Claim 45

A computer-readable medium carrying sequences of instructions for accessing a plurality of data repositories that each comprises a plurality of data objects, the sequences of instructions which, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform the steps of: receiving a request to access data objects stored in data repositories, the request including a parameter that specifies the data objects, wherein at least two of the plurality of directories are configured with different semantics, syntax, and data object relationships; identifying, based on the parameter, a plurality of metadata that each characterizes at least a portion of a configuration for the data objects in respective data repositories; retrieving the plurality of metadata; creating, based on the plurality of metadata, reconfigured requests to access the data objects stored in the respective data repositories; using the reconfigured requests to signal a selection for the data objects from the respective data repositories.

Claim 46

A computer-readable medium carrying sequences of instructions for accessing a plurality of data repositories that each comprises a plurality of data objects, the sequences of instructions which, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform the steps of: receiving a request to access data objects stored in data repositories, the request including a parameter that specifies the data objects, wherein at least two of the plurality of directories are configured with different semantics, syntax, and data object relationships; identifying, based on the parameter, a plurality of metadata that each characterizes at least a portion of a configuration for the data objects in respective data repositories; retrieving the plurality of metadata; creating, based on the plurality of metadata, reconfigured requests to access the data objects stored in the respective data repositories; using the reconfigured requests to signal a selection for the data objects from the respective data repositories.