Patent ID: 7484206

Claim:
A method for seamlessly migrating user data from one operating system environment to another, said method comprising: detecting a change/update in a parameter associated with an entry in a directory structure of a first operating system platform; wherein said detecting a change includes monitoring said first operating system platform for user and administrative inputs during a period in which migration of data from the first operating system platform to the second operating system platform is being completed; wherein said directory structure has a pairing of first parameters associated with the first operating system platform and corresponding second parameters associated with the second operating system platform, said second parameters including a network routing parameter for routing data from the first operating system platform to the second operating system platform via a network connecting the two platforms; dynamically initiating a search within the first directory structure for the entry to which said parameter is associated; when said entry is found, retrieving a network routing parameter for the second operating system platform from within the corresponding second parameters; when the entry is not found, retrieving a pre-set network routing parameter established by an administrator at the first operating system platform identifying a network location of a destination operating system platform to which data for new entries established on the first operating system platform is to be forwarded; in response retrieving the routing parameter or the pre-set routing parameter: creating a synchronization packet having therein the change/update to the parameter; and transmitting the synchronization packet to the second operating system platform identified by the routing parameter or pre-set routing parameter; automatically forwarding, via a network, the change/update in the parameter to a second operating system platform to update a corresponding entry in a storage device of the second operating system platform; programming a pre-established time period at which to trigger said forwarding process; and triggering said dynamically initiating, retrieving, and automatically forwarding processes in response to each expiration of the pre-established time period; wherein the entry is a user entry and the parameter that is changed is a user password for secure user access to the first operating system platform, said user password having a corresponding user password for access to the second operating system platform; wherein the first directory structure is an LDAP directory tree and the first operating system platform is a server within a distributed authentication environment running a Windows operating system; and wherein the second operating system platform is a Linux/Unix operating system platform with a Samba storage facility.