Patent ID: 7620623

Claim:
A method of searching a directory service database, having a plurality of entries arranged in at least one property table, comprising: initially prescribing, by one or more processors, the scope of a search area for said database, and conducting, by the one or more processors, a search of said database using said prescribed search area comprising: accessing a hierarchy table describing a tree of the plurality of entries, the hierarchy table decomposed from the at least one property table and comprising for each entry of the plurality of entries: a parent of the each entry, a path describing an absolute position of the each entry in the tree, the path associating one or more entities from a root of the tree to the each entry, and an entry ID (EID), the entry ID comprising an arbitrary numeric identifier, accessing, using the entry ID, at least one attribute value stored in an object table, the object table decomposed from the at least one property table, the at least one attribute value being accessible only from only from its entry ID, and searching said database according to the at least one attribute value.