Patent ID: 7315854

Claim:
A method for processing a search request of a computer directory containing records hierarchically arranged as a directory information tree (DIT) at a replica server, said method comprising: receiving an incoming search request from a client computer; forming a replicated directory, said forming comprising storing a filtered replica of one or more directory entries matching one or more predetermined search specifications, wherein said filtered replica comprises a duplicate of said one or more directory entries, and wherein said search specifications comprise a base corresponding to a root entry of said search request in said DIT, a scope of said search request under said root entry, a filter corresponding to a search criterion of said search request, and attributes required from the directory entries satisfying said search criterion; determining whether said search request is semantically contained within said replicated directory using a query containment rule, such that said search request is determined to be semantically contained within the replicated directory only if a base of said search request is the same or a descendant of a base of said filtered replica, and such that said search request is determined to be not semantically contained within said replicated directory only if said base of said search request is one of not the same and not a descendant of said base of said filtered replica; and responding to said search request based on the determining process, wherein the response to said search request when said search request is semantically contained within the filtered replica comprises answering said search request based upon the filtered replica without making a referral of said search request to said replica server, and wherein the response to said search request when said search request is not contained within the filtered replica comprises referring said search request to said replica server.