| Oracle® Identity Manager Tools Reference Release 9.1.0.2 Part Number E14763-02 |
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View PDF |
| Oracle® Identity Manager Tools Reference Release 9.1.0.2 Part Number E14763-02 |
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|
View PDF |
This chapter describes the challenges of integrating access rights management applications with other software solutions, and the solution that Oracle Identity Manager offers. It discusses the following topics:
An access rights management application cannot be successful today unless it can be integrated with other software solutions. Not only are there many resources, but also there is no single integration standard for connecting to these resources.
One way to tackle this challenge is by using the common functionality that is supported by all the integrations. To do this, you need developers who can write this code. In addition, every time an existing software resource is modified, or a new one is added, you must write more code.
The Adapter Factory is a code-generation tool provided by Oracle Identity Manager. It helps you create Java classes, known as adapters.An adapter provides the following benefits:
It extends the internal logic and functionality of Oracle Identity Manager.
It interfaces with any software resource, by connecting to that resource by using the API of the resource.
It enables the integration between Oracle Identity Manager and an external system.
It can be generated without manually writing code.
It is lightweight and specific to your needs.
It can be maintained easily because all of the definitions for the adapter are stored in a repository. This repository can be edited through a GUI.
One Oracle Identity Manager user can retain the domain knowledge about the integration, while another user can maintain the adapter.
It can be modified and upgraded efficiently.
As stated earlier, an adapter is a Java class created by an Oracle Identity Manager user through the Adapter Factory. In addition, it is an aggregation of atomic function calls in a logical flow. These atomic steps are known as adapter tasks.
Note:
Oracle Identity Manager can connect to external systems such as databases and directory servers by using Java APIs for JDBC and LDAP. In addition, for all other APIs, such as C, C++, VB, and COM/DCOM, you can create a Java wrapper so that Oracle Identity Manager can communicate with the API directly.There are five types of adapters:
A process task adapter, which allows Oracle Identity Manager to automate the completion of a process task.
A task assignment adapter, which enables Oracle Identity Manager to automate the assignment of a process task to a user or group.
A rule generator, which incorporates business rules to the fields of either an Oracle Identity Manager form or a user-defined form (created by using the Form Designer form), so these fields can be populated automatically and saved to the Oracle Identity Manager database.
Note:
For more information about the Form Designer form, refer to Oracle Identity Manager Design Console GuideA pre-populate adapter, which is a specific type of rule generator adapter that can be attached to a user-created form field. The data generated by this type of adapter can appear either automatically or manually. In addition, it uses criteria that enable Oracle Identity Manager to determine which pre-populate adapter will be applied to the designated form field. It then populates the designated form field without saving this information to the Oracle Identity Manager database.
An entity adapter, which is attached to an Oracle Identity Manager or user-created form field. Oracle Identity Manager triggers an entity adapter on preinsert, preupdate, predelete, postinsert, postupdate, or postdelete. Once this occurs, the field to which the adapter is attached is populated automatically and saved to the Oracle Identity Manager database.
Figure 1-1 illustrates the functionality of five different types of adapters.
These five types of adapters will be explained in greater detail in the chapters that follow.
The Adapter Factory form in the Design Console contains the following tabs:
Adapter Tasks
Execution Schedule
Resources
Variable List
Usage Lookup
Responses
Each of these tabs is explained in greater detail in the following sections.
In the Adapter Tasks tab, you can create and manage the atomic function calls of an adapter. These function calls are known as adapter tasks.
The Execution Schedule tab lets you specify when you want Oracle Identity Manager to trigger a rule generator or an entity adapter. You can schedule Oracle Identity Manager to run a rule generator (Adapter Type R) on preinsert and/or preupdate. You can also configure Oracle Identity Manager to execute an entity adapter (Adapter Type E) on preinsert, preupdate, predelete, postinsert, postupdate, or postdelete.
Caution:
Process task adapters and task assignment adapters, which are attached to process tasks, are triggered once the process task's status becomes Pending. Therefore, you do not specify when Oracle Identity Manager will trigger these types of adapters, Oracle Identity Manager disables the Execution Schedule tab for them.Also, because Oracle Identity Manager always triggers pre-populate adapters on preinsert, Oracle Identity Manager disables the check boxes of this tab for pre-populate adapters.
From the Resources tab, you can:
Click the Java APIs subtab to see the Java APIs that are being used by the adapter.
Click the Other subtab to document a non-Java API file to the adapter, if necessary.
From the Variable List tab, you can:
Create, modify, and delete adapter variables.
Set the data type and provide a description for each variable.
Map an adapter variable to a literal or an adapter reference. You can also postpone the mapping until it is attached to a process task or a form field.
You also can resolve the value of the adapter variable at run time, when it is attached to a process task and the process task is run. As a result, process-specific data is available to map to this variable.
For a process task or task assignment adapter, the Usage Lookup tab displays the process task to which the adapter is attached, as well as the process of which this process task is a member.
For a rule generator or entity adapter, this tab shows the Oracle Identity Manager form and associated data object to which the adapter is attached. In addition, it displays the execution schedule of the adapter, along with a sequence number that represents the order in which Oracle Identity Manager will trigger the adapter.
For a pre-populate adapter, this tab displays the user-defined form and form field to which the adapter is attached. Also, it shows the pre-populate rule that is associated with the adapter.
Note:
For more information about the different types of adapters, refer to the Chapter 3, "Creating Adapters".The Responses tab is used for defining meaningful responses to the process task. These responses depend on the execution result of the adapter. The various error messages returned by the external system can then be mapped to these responses in a way that they make sense in the context of the process task. On attaching the adapter to a process task, the status bucket, which consists of Pending, Completed, and Rejected, of the process task (and subsequently the Object status) can be set, based on the adapter response code.
Tip:
Oracle Identity Manager enables the Responses tab only for process task adapters. If an adapter is a task assignment, rule generator, pre-populate, or entity adapter, then Oracle Identity Manager disables this tab.
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