Patent ID: 7191192

Claim:
A bidirectional metadirectory agent comprising: a data source converter layer portion of a sever configured to convert metadirectory change commands between a data source specific protocol and an agent-internal common format, and vice versa; a filters and rules layer portion of a server configured to block changes which are not allowed to be exported to a metadirectory from the data source and which are not allowed to be implemented in the data source from an outside entity; a mapping layer portion of a sever configured to translate attributes in change commands from a local set of attribute names to a set of metadirectory attribute names and vice versa, and for converting change commands between said agent-internal common format and a directory change protocol; and a user customization layer portion of a server configured to implement custom metadirectory agent functions; and a metadirectory interface portion of a server configured to send and receive said change commands in said directory change protocol to and from one or more systems selected from the group of a metadirectory joiner, a metadirectory data source, a portal sever, and a client interface.