Patent ID: 7698278

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for at least one of a plurality of client processes on a computing device to obtain directory service information, comprising the steps of: a caching program maintaining a local directory service database within a shared memory space of the computing device, wherein the local directory service database contains the directory service information, the shared memory space is commonly read-only accessible to the plurality of client processes, and the caching program interacts with plurality of client processes to (i) selectively grant shared memory space access to the plurality of client processes and (ii) provide shared memory support functions to the client processes for which the client processes are not sanctioned to perform; at least one of the plurality of client processes obtaining access to the local directory service database; the at least one of the plurality of client processes checking the local directory service database through direct access to the shared memory space for a desired directory service information entry; the at least one of the plurality of client processes retrieving the desired directory service information entry if it is present in the local directory service database; and the at least one of the plurality of client processes notifying the caching program of a cache miss if the desired directory service information entry is not present in the local directory service database, and in response to the notifying, the caching program adding an information entry to the local directory service database and informing the at least one of the plurality of client processes of the adding.