Patent ID: 7734585

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for replicating LDAP directories in a distributed database system, the distributed database system comprising a plurality of nodes communicating via a replication network comprising at least one replication ring, the method comprising: implementing a change to the LDAP directory received at a node of the replication network, the replication network comprises a fan-out node, wherein implementing the change comprises creating one or more logs, the one or more logs further comprising a change log, the one or more logs comprising change information detailing operation information to implement the change and origin information detailing the node at which the change originated; replicating, by using a processor, the change at one or more other nodes in the replication network based at least in part upon one or more relationship agreements between the one or more other nodes and the node, wherein the one or more relationship agreements specify the types of changes that pass between the node and the one or more other nodes in the replication network and are configured to control whether to propagate the change to a child node or a parent node based at least in part upon comparing the operation information with an relationship agreement; and storing the change in a storage area of a volatile or non-volatile computer-usable medium or displaying the change on a display device.