Patent ID: 7487176

Claim:
A method implemented at least in part by a computing device, the method for extending a directory schema independent of schema modification, the method comprising: instantiating an object instance of a content class comprising a flexible attribute, the flexible attribute comprising a syntax attribute, the object instance being created in a directory based on the directory schema, the content class and the flexible attribute being defined in the directory schema, the flexible attribute taking on at least one of multiple values independent of the flexible attribute's actual data type, such that the directory schema is versioning aware thereby supporting new and existing versions of applications that use the directory; and extending the directory schema independent of schema modification such that the directory schema is unmodified by creating new structural object classes or attributes to include the data requirements and/or operational characteristics, the directory being extended by assigning, via the object instance, a property to the syntax attribute, the property having operational or data providing value(s) and meaning(s) that are independent of an actual data type of the syntax attribute, wherein data and/or operations stored on the flexible attribute are non-opaque to applications accessing the directory, such that the data and/or operations stored on the flexible attribute can be parsed by the applications accessing the directory without prior knowledge about the data stored on the flexible attribute.