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The Computer Journal 1988 31(2):175-181; doi:10.1093/comjnl/31.2.175
© 1988 by British Computer Society
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A Distributed Directory Database System for Telecommunications

S. M. Deen1 * {ddagger}, M. C. Taylor1 * {ddagger} ++, P. A. Ingram2 § and K. W. Rayner2 §

1 Department of Computer Science, University of Keele, Keele, Staffs, ST5 5BG, UK, 2 British Telecom, Ipswich, Suffolk, UK

Distributed directory systems are intended to facilitate communications within the ISO/OSI framework, by holding network addresses and other relevant details of what are called communication entities, on an international scale. They can be viewed as constituting a distributed database system in a loosely couple framework. An interesting departure of directory system from the traditional DDBs is the absence of any global directory of data distribution, which often forces the directory system to use a navigational or a multicasting search strategy based on hints or partial knowledge. Such a strategy must also prevent the search from ending up in blind alleys or cyclic loops. There are also some special problems relating to issues such as aliases, synonyms, confidentially and updates.

The directory system described here is based on the architecture of the PRECI* distributed database system and was developed under contract for British Telecom. The architecture has been developed to conform to emerging international standards for directory systems as developed by CCITT and ISO. (The architecture described here is based on the standard as of early 1986). Detailed functional specifications have been produced and an implementation, based on the specifications, is being planned.

Received May 1987. revised August 1987.

All rights to the architecture described in this paper are the property of British Telecom plc.

* Department of Computer Science, University of Keele, Keele, Staffs, ST5 5BG

§ British Telecom, Ipswich, Suffolk

{ddagger} Some of the work was carried out while these authors were at the University of Aberdeen.

++ To whom correspondence should be addressed.


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