| Oracle® Identity Management Integration Guide 10g (10.1.4.2) Part Number E10528-01 |
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| Oracle® Identity Management Integration Guide 10g (10.1.4.2) Part Number E10528-01 |
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|
View PDF |
This chapter discusses the synchronization profiles and connectors that link Oracle Internet Directory and connected directories. It contains these topics:
See Also:
Chapter 1, "Introduction to Oracle Identity Management Integration" for a conceptual discussion of Oracle Directory Integration PlatformThis section discusses the components involved in Oracle Directory synchronization. It contains these topics:
To synchronize between Oracle Internet Directory and a connected directory, Oracle Directory Integration Platform relies on a prepackaged connectivity solution called a connector. Minimally, this connector consists of a directory integration profile containing all the configuration information required for synchronization.
When synchronizing between Oracle Internet Directory and a connected directory, Oracle Directory Integration Platform uses one of these interfaces: DB, LDAP, tagged, or LDIF. If the connected directory uses one of these interfaces, then the connector requires only a directory integration profile for synchronization to occur. For example, the Sun Java System Directory connector provided with Oracle Internet Directory uses the LDAP interface to read the changes from the Sun Java System Directory. The changes are in the format specific to Sun Java System Directory and can be determined by running ldapsearch in the Sun Java System Directory.
If a connected directory cannot use one of the interfaces supported by Oracle Directory Integration Platform, then, in addition to the directory integration profile, it requires an agent. The agent transforms the data from one of the formats supported by Oracle Directory Integration Platform into one supported by the connected directory. An example is the Oracle Human Resources connector. It has both a prepackaged integration profile and an Oracle Human Resources agent. To communicate with Oracle Internet Directory, the agent uses the tagged file format supported by Oracle Directory Integration Platform. To communicate with the Oracle Human Resources system, it uses SQL (through an OCI interface).
A directory integration profile for synchronization, called a directory synchronization profile, contains all the configuration information required for synchronization including:
Direction of synchronization
Some connected directories only receive data from Oracle Internet Directory—that is, they participate in export operations only. Others only supply data to Oracle Internet Directory—that is, they participate in import operations only. Still others participate in both import and export operations.
A separate profile is used for each direction—that is, one profile for information coming into Oracle Internet Directory, and another for information going from Oracle Internet Directory to connected directories.
Type of interface
Some connected directories can receive data in any of the interfaces built into Oracle Directory Integration Platform. These interfaces include LDAP, tagged, DB (for read-only), and LDIF. For these connected directories, the Oracle Directory Synchronization Service performs the synchronization itself directly, using the information stored in the profile.
In a directory synchronization environment, a typical set of entries from one domain can be moved to another domain. Similarly, a set of attributes can be mapped to another set of attributes.
Mapping rules govern the conversion of attributes between a connected directory and Oracle Internet Directory. Each connector stores a set of these rules in the orclodipAttributeMappingRules attribute of its synchronization profile. The Oracle directory integration server uses these rules to map attributes as needed when exporting from the directory and interpreting data imported from a connected directory or file. When the Oracle directory integration server imports changes into Oracle Internet Directory, it converts the connected directory's change record into an LDAP change record following the mapping rules. Similarly, during export, the connector translates Oracle Internet Directory changes to the format understood by the connected directory.
Connection details of the connected directory
These details include such information about the connected directory as host, port, mode of connection—that is, either SSL or non-SSL—and the connected directory credentials.
Other information
Although the synchronization profile stores most of the information needed by a connector to synchronize Oracle Internet Directory with connected directories, some connectors may need more. This is because some operations require additional configuration information at runtime.
You can store additional connector configuration information wherever and however you want. However, Oracle Directory Integration Platform enables you to store it in the synchronization profile as an attribute called orclODIPAgentConfigInfo. Its use is optional—that is, if a connector does not require such information, then leave this attribute empty.
The configuration information can pertain to the connector, the connected directory, or both. Oracle Internet Directory and Oracle directory integration server do not modify this information. When the connector is invoked, the Oracle directory integration server provides it with the information in this attribute as a temporary file.
See Also:
The attribute reference chapter of the Oracle Identity Management User Reference for a list and descriptions of the attributes in a directory integration profileDepending on where the changes are made, synchronization can occur:
From a connected directory to Oracle Internet Directory
From Oracle Internet Directory to a connected directory
In both directions
Regardless of the direction in which the data flows, it is assumed that:
During synchronization, incremental changes made on one directory are propagated to the other
Once synchronization is complete, the information is maintained in both directories is the same
This section contains these topics:
Synchronizing from Oracle Internet Directory to a Connected Directory
Synchronizing from a Connected Directory to Oracle Internet Directory
Synchronizing Directories with Interfaces Not Supported by Oracle Internet Directory
Oracle Internet Directory maintains a change log in which it stores incremental changes made to directory objects. It stores these changes sequentially based on the change log number.
Synchronization from Oracle Internet Directory to a connected directory makes use of this change log. Consequently, when running the Oracle directory integration server, you must start Oracle Internet Directory with the default setting in which change logging is enabled. If change logging is disabled, you can enable it by using the -l flag in the OID Control Utility (oidctl), as described in Oracle Identity Management User Reference.
Each time the Oracle Directory Synchronization Service processes a synchronization profile, it:
Retrieves the latest change log number up to which all changes have been applied.
Checks each change log entry more recent than that number.
Selects changes to be synchronized with the connected directory by using the filtering rules in the profile.
Applies the mapping rules to the entry and makes the corresponding changes in the connected directory.
The appropriate entries or attributes are then updated in that connected directory. If the connected directory does not use DB, LDAP, tagged, or LDIF formats directly, then the agent identified in its profile is invoked. The number of the last change successfully used is then stored in the profile.
Periodically, Oracle Internet Directory purges the change log after all profiles have used what they need, and identifies where subsequent synchronization should begin.
When a connected directory uses DB, LDAP, tagged, or LDIF formats directly, changes to its entries or attributes can be automatically synchronized by the Oracle Directory Synchronization Service. Otherwise, the connector has an agent in its synchronization profile, which writes the changes to a file in the LDIF or tagged format. The Oracle Directory Synchronization Service then uses this file of connected directory data to update Oracle Internet Directory.
Some connected directories cannot receive data by using any of the interfaces supported by Oracle Internet Directory. Profiles for this type of directory contain an attribute identifying a separate program for synchronization, called an agent. The agent translates between the connected directory's unique format and a DB, LDAP, tagged, or LDIF file containing the synchronization data. The agent, as identified in the profile, is invoked by the Oracle Directory Synchronization Service.
When exporting data from Oracle Internet Directory to this type of connected directory, the Oracle Directory Synchronization Service creates the necessary file in the tagged or LDIF format. The agent then reads that file, translates it into the correct format for the receiving connected directory, and stores the data in that directory.
When importing data from this type of connected directory to Oracle Internet Directory, the agent creates the necessary tagged or LDIF format file. The Oracle Directory Synchronization Service then uses this file data to update Oracle Internet Directory.
