Patent ID: 7840588

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: providing by a computer at least one declaration for an attribute to be handled as a real-time attribute associated with but external to a directory structure; receiving by a computer a directory access protocol request for access to one or more attribute values from the associated directory structure; detecting by a computer in the received request a request to access an attribute declared as a real-time external attribute; responsive to the detecting of a request for a real-time attribute, resolving by a computer a real-time value by obtaining an attribute value from a real-time source external to the directory structure; responsive to the resolving, converting by a computer the obtained attribute value from a real-time attribute to a static attribute, wherein the real-time attribute is incompatible with the directory access protocol, and wherein the static attribute is compatible with the directory access protocol; and returning by a computer to a requester the converted real-time attribute directly in the directory access protocol, wherein storing and updating of the converted real-time attribute value in the directory structure is eliminated or avoided.