Patent ID: 6061684
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: G06F,H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
In a computer network having a plurality of users and comprising a server computer controlling a shareable resource organized as a hierarchy of elements, the hierarchy including a root element at a topmost point in the hierarchy and additional elements that are descendants of the root element in the hierarchy, a method of modifying attributes of the resource, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:receiving a request to change an attribute of a first element of the hierarchy with respect to a user of the network, the first element being a specified one of the additional elements;in response to the receiving step, determining whether the first element has an associated list of attributes;upon determining that the first element lacks an associated list of attributes, identifying a second element of the hierarchy, the second element having an associated list of attributes and being a proximate ancestor of the first element in the hierarchy;generating a copy of the list of attributes of the second element;modifying the generated copy of the list of attributes to incorporate the requested change into the generated copy; andassociating the modified copy of the list of attributes with the first element to establish an updated list of attributes associated with the first element.