Connector Subcomponents

A subcomponent is a lightweight process or library that runs separately from the connector. Connectors use subcomponents to access native resources that cannot be accessed remotely, such as capturing passwords inside Directory Server or Windows NT.

The following connector subcomponents are configured or installed with the directory being synchronized and communicate with the corresponding connector over an encrypted connection.

• Directory Server Plug-In

• Windows NT Connector Subcomponents

Active Directory Connectors do not require subcomponents.

Directory Server Plug-In

The Directory Server Plug-in is a subcomponent of the Directory Server Connector. You configure the Directory Server Plug-in on each Directory Server being synchronized.

This Plug-in does the following:

• Enhances the Directory Server Connector’s change-detection features by storing encrypted passwords in the retro changelog

• Provides bidirectional support for user attribute and password synchronization between Active Directory and Directory Server (see Using On-Demand Password Synchronization to Obtain Clear-Text Passwords)

Identity Synchronization for Windows used to support only two-way multimaster replication (MMR). Now, the Directory Server Plug-in is also functional in N-way MMR environments.

Windows NT Connector Subcomponents

If your installation requires synchronization with Windows NT SAM Registries, the Identity Synchronization for Windows installation program installs the following in the Primary Domain Controller (PDC) along with the Windows NT Connector:

• Change Detector. Detects user entry and password change events by monitoring the Security Log, then passes the changes to the Connector

• Password Filter DLL. Captures password changes made on the Windows NT Domain Controller and passes these securely to the NT Connector.