An object-oriented approach to directory systems

The author sums up the experience of designing and implementing a prototype directory system based on the standards jointly produced by CCITT and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The open systems approach is adopted in designing the system. The prototype includes an object-oriented database implemented on top of a commercial relational database for storing directory information and knowledge. With this design, a new communication stack would only mean a slightly different front-end process. The behavioral encapsulation provided by the object-oriented database guarantees that any object-oriented database can be used to replace the current back-end database system with a minimum of effort