4.1 About directory abstraction layer definitions
The directory abstraction layer is a set of data definitions that provide a logical view of an identity vault. The directory abstraction layer defines:
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The identity vault objects and attributes that can be used in the Identity Manager user application.
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How identity vault data is displayed in the user interface.
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The relationships available to the Org Chart portlet.
You will use the directory abstraction layer editor to change these data definitions if you want to modify the user application appearance or function. You can change it by:
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Adding other identity vault objects
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Changing the set of attributes available for an identity vault object
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Changing the contents of lists
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Showing different relationships among identity vault objects
The Identity Manager user application installation procedure installs and deploys the base set of abstraction layer definitions that are needed for the user application to function properly. This install also creates eDirectory schema extensions that are used by the user application driver and the user application. You can learn more about these schema extensions in Section A.0, Schema Extensions. This same base set of files are created on the local file system when you create a new User Application Driver instance via Designer for Identity Manager.
Required data abstraction layer data definitions As you begin to customize your own Identity Manager user application, you’ll want to make changes to the directory abstraction layer objects. However, certain identity vault objects (called entities), attributes, relationships, and lists cannot be removed or changed or the user application will not function properly. The definitions that cannot be removed are identified by a padlock icon. From this example, you can see that Task Group entity and all of its attributes are locked.
Where directory abstraction layer definitions are stored Directory abstraction layer definitions are XML files that are:
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Stored locally in the file system of the designer machine in the provisioning project’s Provisioning\AppConfig\DirectoryModel subdirectory. If you have more than one User Application in your project, the directory names are numbered. For example, AppConfig1, AppConfig2, and so on.
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Deployed to the User Application Driver’s AppConfig.DirectoryModel container. The XML files are stored in the XMLData attribute on the corresponding directory abstraction layer definition object. Each entity, relationship, and list is a unique object instance contained in the User Application Driver’s AppConfig.DirectoryModel container.
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Cached on the application server where the user application is deployed.