Patent ID: 7580919

Claim:
An apparatus for providing information in response to a query of a virtual database table, the apparatus comprising: a virtual database service comprising the virtual database table, wherein the virtual database table comprises one or more rows and each of the one or more rows comprises one or more fields; an information source comprising the information to be provided in response to the query of the virtual database table, wherein the information source comprises an access evaluator configured to determine whether a user may have access to an information resource within the information source, the query comprising a field name and an indication of manner for selecting a row, the manner of selecting a row including information identifying the information resource within the information source and the user seeking access to the information resource, the information provided in response to the query including an indication of whether the identified user may access the information resource, the virtual database service configured to: receive the query; respond to the field name and the indication of the manner for selecting a row as required to obtain the information to be provided from the information source; and provide the information as a value of the field indicated by the field name in the selected row, in response to the query; and an additional information source configured for use as a user profile information source that provides additional information about the user through the use of profile information gathering that indicates to the user profile information source how to gather the profile information, the indication of the manner for selecting a row further including the profile information gathering information, wherein the information provided in response to the query is obtained at least in part from the profile information source, the provided information including the profile information.