MetaComm: A meta-directory for telecommunications

A great deal of corporate data is buried in network devices - such as PBX messaging/email platforms, and data networking equipment - where it is difficult to access and modify. Typically, the data is only available to the device itself for its internal purposes and it must be administered using either a proprietary interface or a standard protocol against a proprietary schema. This leads to many problems, most notably: the need for data replication and difficult interoperation with other devices and applications. MetaComm addresses these problems by providing a framework to integrate data from multiple devices into a meta-directory. The system allows user information to be modified through a directory using the LDAP protocol as well as directly through two legacy devices: a Definity PBX and a voice messaging system. In order to prevent data inconsistencies, updates to any system must be reflected appropriately in all systems. This paper describes how MetaComm maintains consistency when data integration is performed across several systems with no triggers and with extremely weak typing and transactional support. We also discuss implementation details and experiences.