SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ALLOWING DISPARATE NAMING SERVICE PROVIDERS TO DYNAMICALLY JOIN A NAMING FEDERATION

The present invention provides an improved Federated Naming Framework System which includes a Federated Naming Service Provider Interface ("FN SPI") for four (4) kinds of Name Services (Atomic Name, Compound Name, Partial Composite Name and Composite Name) along with a mechanism, designated the "FN Framework", which sits between the Client application and these Name Services and supports the translation and administration of calls for resolution of composite names to allow Client applications to make appropriate use of the available FN SPIs (there may be more than one FN SPI in any given system). The improved Federated Naming Framework System provides mechanisms to define and process strong and weak separation in the determination of naming system boundaries. Moreover, the present invention allows system implementors to install new naming services either statically or dynamically without disruption of the Client applications.