Systems and methods for maintaining group membership records
View Patent ↗A method for maintaining group membership records includes 1) maintaining a record of group memberships for a membership hierarchy, the membership record identifying a direct relationship between a first object and a second object in the membership hierarchy, 2) receiving a membership update indicating that, as of a first point in time, a direct relationship between the second object and a third object changed, 3) updating the record of group memberships to reflect the change in the relationship between the second object and the third object, 4) deducing, based on the membership update and the record of group memberships, a change in an indirect relationship between the first object and the third object as of the first point in time, and 5) providing a view of object relationships within the membership hierarchy as the object relationships exist at the first point in time and a historical record of object relationships.
1. A computer-implemented method for maintaining group membership records, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:
maintaining a record of group memberships for a membership hierarchy, the record of group memberships identifying:
a first degree relationship between a first object and a second object in the membership hierarchy,
a first degree relationship between the second object and a third object in the membership hierarchy, and
a first degree relationship between the third object and a fourth object in the membership hierarchy;
receiving a membership update indicating that, as of a first point in time, the first degree relationship between the first object and the second object has changed;
deducing, based on the membership update, a change in a second degree relationship between the first object and the third object and a change in a third degree relationship between the first object and the fourth object as of the first point in time, wherein the changes in the second and third degree relationships are deduced in a single pass such that the change in the third degree relationship is deduced without first deducing the change in the second degree relationship.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the change in the second degree relationship and the change in the third degree relationship are deduced simultaneously.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising using the record of group memberships, the updated change in the first degree relationship, and the deduced change in the second and third degree relationships to provide a view of object relationships within the membership hierarchy as the object relationships exist at the first point in time.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining a historical record of group memberships as they existed before the first point in time.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the membership hierarchy comprises an Active Directory structure for an enterprise;
the first object comprises a user group;
receiving the membership update comprises receiving an Update Sequence Number (USN) change list that indicates direct relationship changes within the Active Directory structure.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising receiving an electronic discovery request to provide group membership information for objects within the Active Directory structure.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising, in response to the electronic discovery request, providing a view of group membership information as it existed at the first point in time and by providing a historical record of group memberships as they existed before the first point in time.
8. A system for maintaining group membership records, the system comprising:
a group membership module programmed to maintain a record of group memberships for a membership hierarchy, the record of group memberships identifying:
a first degree relationship between a first object and a second object in the membership hierarchy,
a first degree relationship between the second object and a third object in the membership hierarchy, and
a first degree relationship between the third object and a fourth object in the membership hierarchy;
an update module programmed to receive a membership update indicating that, as of a first point in time, the first degree relationship between the first object and the second object has changed;
a deduction module programmed to deduce, based on the membership update, a change in a second degree relationship between the first object and the third object and a change in a third degree relationship between the first object and the fourth object as of the first point in time, wherein the deduction modules deduces the changes in the second and third degree relationships in a single pass such that the change in the third degree relationship is deduced without first deducing the change in the second degree relationship;
at least one processor programmed to execute the group membership module, the update module, and the deduction module.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the deduction module is further programmed to deduce simultaneously the change in the second degree relationship and the change in the third degree relationship.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the group membership module is further programmed to use the record of group memberships, the updated change in the first degree relationship, and the deduced change in the second and third degree relationships to provide a view of object relationships within the membership hierarchy as the object relationships exist at the first point in time.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the group membership module is further programmed to maintain a historical record of group memberships as they existed before the first point in time.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the membership hierarchy comprises an Active Directory structure for an enterprise;
the first object comprises a user group;
the update module is programmed to receive the membership update by receiving an Update Sequence Number (USN) change list that indicates direct relationship changes within the Active Directory structure.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the group membership module is further programmed to receive an electronic discovery request to provide group membership information for objects within the Active Directory structure.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the group membership module is further programmed to provide, in response to the electronic discovery request, a view of group membership information as it existed at the first point in time and by providing a historical record of group memberships as they existed before the first point in time.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:
maintain a record of group memberships for a membership hierarchy, the record of group memberships identifying:
a first degree relationship between a first object and a second object in the membership hierarchy,
a first degree relationship between the second object and a third object in the membership hierarchy, and
a first degree relationship between the third object and a fourth object in the membership hierarchy;
receive a membership update indicating that, as of a first point in time, the first degree relationship between the first object and the second object has changed;
deduce, based on the membership update, a change in a second degree relationship between the first object and the third object and a change in a third degree relationship between the first object and the fourth object as of the first point in time, wherein the changes in the second and third degree relationships are deduced in a single pass such that the change in the third degree relationship is deduced without first deducing the change in the second degree relationship.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the change in the second degree relationship and the change in the third degree relationship are deduced simultaneously.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions are further programmed to cause the computing device to:
use the record of group memberships, the updated change in the first degree relationship, and the deduced change in the second and third degree relationships to provide a view of object relationships within the membership hierarchy as the object relationships exist at the first point in time.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions are further programmed to cause the computing device to:
maintain a historical record of group memberships as they existed before the first point in time.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein:
the membership hierarchy comprises an Active Directory structure for an enterprise;
the first object comprises a user group;
receiving the membership update comprises receiving an Update Sequence Number (USN) change list that indicates direct relationship changes within the Active Directory structure.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions are further programmed to cause the computing device to:
receive an electronic discovery request to provide group membership information for objects within the Active Directory structure.