Patent ID: 7840671

Claim:
A method comprising computer-implemented steps of: receiving, by a name service, a certain message from a client, said message including: published data, key information that identifies one or more keys associated with said published data, and modification entity information that: is separate from said key information, and indicates the identity of one or more modification entities associated with said published data; storing, by said name service, in response to receiving said certain message, a particular entry that contains: said published data, said one or more keys, and modification entity data, separate from said one or more keys, that represents said modification entity information; receiving, by said name service, from a particular client, a request to modify certain data associated with said one or more keys, said request requiring modification of said particular entry; inspecting, by said name service, said modification entity data in response to receiving said request to modify certain data associated with said one or more keys; determining, by said name service, whether said particular client is permitted to modify said particular entry based on said inspecting step; modifying by said name service, said certain data included in said particular entry in response to determining that said particular client is permitted to modify said particular entry; and wherein the steps of the method are performed by one or more computing devices.