Method and apparatus for using a directory service to facilitate centralized device naming
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses a directory service to facilitate centralized device naming. The system operates by receiving a registration of a device at a computer system. Next, the system determines if the device has been registered with the directory service. If so, the system retrieves a name of the device from the directory service. If not, the system generates a device name for the device, and registers the device name with the directory service.
1. A method for using a directory service on a server to facilitate centralized device naming, the method comprising:
receiving a registration of a device at a computer system;
determining if the device has been registered with the directory service on the server;
if so, retrieving a name of the device from the directory service; and
if not,
receiving at the computer system from the directory service a set of naming rules for a device type corresponding to the device, wherein the set of naming rules comprises at least one naming rule associated with a subdirectory in which the device is hosted;
generating at the computer system a device name for the device by using the received set of naming rules, and
registering the device name with the directory service.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein registering the device name with the directory service involves:
creating a registration record in a format specified by the directory service; and
transferring the registration record to a server that is running the directory service.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the server is a database server, and wherein transferring the registration record to the server involves saving the record on the database server.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the directory service can include:
a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) service;
a Network Information Service (NIS);
a Network Information Service Plus (NIS+) service;
a Novell eDirectory service;
a Red Hat Directory Server service;
an Active Directory (AD) service;
an Open Directory service;
an Apache Directory Server service; and
an Oracle Internet Directory service.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein upon registering the device name with the directory service, the directory service sends a copy of the device name registration to a second computer system.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a request to the directory service requesting a copy of a plurality of registration records from the directory service; and
caching a local copy of the plurality of registration records at the computer system.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device can be physically attached to the computer system, or can be coupled to the computer system via a network.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device can include a physical device or a virtual device.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an indication that the device has been removed from the computer system; and
invalidating the registration of the device name with the directory service.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein upon invalidating the registration of the device name with the directory service, the directory service sends a copy of the invalidation of the device name registration to a second computer system.
11. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for using a directory service on a server to facilitate centralized device naming, the method comprising:
receiving a registration of a device at a computer system;
determining if the device has been registered with the directory service on the server;
if so, retrieving a name of the device from the directory service; and
if not,
receiving at the computer system from the directory service a set of naming rules for a device type corresponding to the device, wherein the set of naming rules comprises at least one naming rule associated with a subdirectory in which the device is hosted;
generating at the computer system a device name for the device by using the received set of naming rules, and
registering the device name with the directory service.
12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein registering the device name with the directory service involves:
creating a registration record in a format specified by the directory service; and
transferring the registration record to a server that is running the directory service.
13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the server is a database server, and wherein transferring the registration record to the server involves saving the record on the database server.
14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein upon registering the device name with the directory service, the directory service sends a copy of the device name registration to a second computer system.
15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
sending a request to the directory service requesting a copy of a plurality of registration records from the directory service; and
caching a local copy of the plurality of registration records at the computer system.
16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the device can be physically attached to the computer system, or can be coupled to the computer system via a network.
17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the device can include a physical device or a virtual device.
18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving an indication that the device has been removed from the computer system; and
invalidating the registration of the device name with the directory service.
19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein upon invalidating the registration of the device name with the directory service, the directory service sends a copy of the invalidation of the device name registration to a second computer system.
20. An apparatus configured to use a directory service on a server to facilitate centralized device naming, comprising:
a receiving mechanism configured to receive a registration of a device at a computer system;
a determination mechanism configured to determine if the device has been registered with the directory service on the server;
a retrieval mechanism configured to retrieving a name of the device from the directory service if the device has been registered with the directory service; and
a registration mechanism, wherein if the device has not been registered with the directory service, the registration mechanism is configured to:
receive from the directory service a set of naming rules for a device type corresponding to the device, wherein the set of naming rules comprises at least one naming rule associated with a subdirectory in which the device is hosted;
generate a device name for the device by using the received set of naming rules; and
register the device name with the directory service.