Article

(View Disclaimer)

Author: Vishwanath Kalavar

Vishwanath explains the usage of Schema Synchronization with the Driver Filter Editor feature in the IDM Designer 3.0 version.

Contents

• Introduction
• When does Synchronization happen?
• How to verify Synchronization?

Introduction

Each driver added in the Designer modeler contains a Schema policy that maps the class names and attribute names between the Identity Vault namespace and the Application namespace. Any document passed between the Metadirectory engine and the application shim in either direction on publisher or subscriber channel, are passed through the Schema Map policy.

Double click the policy name in the outline view to open the Schema Map Editor. A Schema Map Editor creates and manages the schema map policies. It can also be opened from the Policy Flow and Policy Set View.

Click to view.

Figure 1.1 Schema Map Editor for Active Directory Driver

Synchronize to Filter:

In the Schema Map Editor, click the tool bar to update the filter editor for any changes made in the Schema Map Editor, such as, adding new classes, adding new attributes, editing the existing class name or attribute name, and so on.

Ensure that Schema Map Editor does not synchronize the deleted entries with the Filter Policy. In addition, attributes under Non-Class-Specific Mapping are not synchronized with the Filter Editor.

Make sure that the changes are properly synchronized. If the changes are not saved, you are prompted to save the changes to the editor before synchronization.

When does synchronization happen?

Case 1. Empty Schema Map

When a new Schema Map Editor is created, no class and attributes are mapped by default. Because the editor contains only the non-class-specific mapping, synchronization cannot update the Filter Editor.

Case 2. Only Non-class-specific attributes

If attribute mapping does not apply to a specific class, these attributes are mapped under Non-class-specific container. Synchronization does not update the Filter Editor.

Case 3. Classes/Attributes which are already existing in the Filter

• If Schema and Filter Editors are already synced up, adding new classes and attributes to the Schema Map and synchronization with the Filter updates only the newly added classes and attributes in the Filter Editor.
• The synchronization creates a new class name in the Filter Editor if an existing class name is modified in the Schema Map Editor.
• If an existing attribute name is modified in the Schema Map, the synchronization creates a new attribute name in the Filter under the respective class name as a last element of the class tree.

Case 4. Classes/Attributes Non-existent in the Filter

After synchronization, the classes/attributes that did not exist earlier in the Filter are added to the Filter Editor.

For better understanding, “Synchronize with Filter Editor...”, the Synchronize icon tool tip text of Designer 300 version is changed to “Synchronize to Filter Editor...” in Designer 301.

How to verify Synchronization?

1. Open the Schema Map Editor and the Filter Editor of any driver. Make sure a few classes and attributes are added or modified in the Schema Map Editor.
2. Save the Editor.
3. Click the Sync icon in the Schema Map Editor tool bar menu.
4. Click Yes to confirm the modifications to the Filter Editor.
5. Open the Filter Editor and make sure that the Schema Map Editor changes appear in the Filter Editor.

Click to view.

Figure 1.2 Schema Map with newly added class and attributes

Click to view.

Figure 1.3 Filter Editor with newly added class and attributes after synchronization

Disclaimer: As with everything else at Cool Solutions, this content is definitely not supported by Novell (so don't even think of calling Support if you try something and it blows up).

It was contributed by a community member and is published "as is." It seems to have worked for at least one person, and might work for you. But please be sure to test, test, test before you do anything drastic with it.