1. Configuring the Eloqua Application
  2. Using the Connector

5 Using the Connector

You can use the connector for performing reconciliation and provisioning operations after configuring your application to meet your requirements.

5.1 Configuring Reconciliation

You can configure the connector to specify the type of reconciliation and its schedule.

This section discusses the following topics related to configuring reconciliation:

5.1.1 Performing Full and Incremental Reconciliation

Full reconciliation involves reconciling all existing user records from the target system into Oracle Identity Governance. After you create the application, you must first perform full reconciliation.

For a Target application, you can only perform full reconciliation. To perform a full reconciliation run, ensure that no value is specified for the Filter attribute of the scheduled job for reconciling users.

To perform an incremental reconciliation run, set the value of the Incremental Recon Attribute to updatedAt, and then run the Eloqua User Target Reconciliation job. At the end of the reconciliation run, the Latest Token parameter of the reconciliation job for the user record reconciliation is automatically updated. From the next reconciliation run onward, only records created after this time stamp are considered for reconciliation. This is incremental reconciliation.

You can switch from incremental reconciliation to full reconciliation whenever you want to ensure that all target system records are reconciled in Oracle Identity Governance.

See Reconciliation Jobs for information about this reconciliation jobs.

5.1.2 Performing Limited Reconciliation

Limited or filtered reconciliation is the process of limiting the number of records being reconciled based on a set filter criteria.

By default, all target system records that are added or modified after the last reconciliation run are reconciled during the current reconciliation run. You can customize this process by specifying the subset of added or modified target system records that must be reconciled. You do this by creating filters for the reconciliation module.

All users are associated with a unique system ID, also known as loginName. The loginName attribute is present in the target system and OIG. Filtered reconciliation is performed using the loginName as a filter suffix attribute.

You can perform limited reconciliation by creating filters for the reconciliation module. This connector provides a Filter Suffix attribute (a scheduled task attribute) that allows you to use the loginName attribute of the target system to filter target system records. The loginName is appended to the endpoint URL. When this endpoint URL is reconciled, all record reconciliation is limited to this filter suffix attribute. A sample filter suffix value is search=loginName=raisee. The value provided in the filter suffix parameter varies in accordance with the target system.

While creating the application, follow the instructions in Configuring Reconciliation to specify attribute values.

5.2 Configuring Reconciliation Jobs

Configure reconciliation jobs to perform reconciliation runs that check for new information on your target system periodically and replicates the data in Oracle Identity Governance.

You can apply this procedure to configure the reconciliation jobs for users and entitlements.

To configure a reconciliation job:
  1. Log in to Identity System Administration.
  2. In the left pane, under System Management, click Scheduler.
  3. Search for and open the scheduled job as follows:
    1. In the Search field, enter the name of the scheduled job as the search criterion. Alternatively, you can click Advanced Search and specify the search criterion.
    2. In the search results table on the left pane, click the scheduled job in the Job Name column.
  4. On the Job Details tab, you can modify the parameters of the scheduled task:
    • Retries: Enter an integer value in this field. This number represents the number of times the scheduler tries to start the job before assigning the Stopped status to the job.
    • Schedule Type: Depending on the frequency at which you want the job to run, select the appropriate schedule type. See Creating Jobs in Oracle Fusion Middleware Administering Oracle Identity Governance.

    In addition to modifying the job details, you can enable or disable a job.

  5. On the Job Details tab, in the Parameters region, specify values for the attributes of the scheduled task.

    Note:

    Values (either default or user-defined) must be assigned to all the attributes. If even a single attribute value is left empty, then reconciliation is not performed.

  6. Click Apply to save the changes.

    Note:

    You can use the Scheduler Status page in Identity System Administration to either start, stop, or reinitialize the scheduler.

5.3 Configuring Provisioning

Learn about performing provisioning operations in Oracle Identity Governance and the guidelines that you must apply while performing these operations.

5.3.1 Guidelines on Performing Provisioning Operations

This guideline provides information on what to do while performing provisioning operations.

For a Create User provisioning operation, you must specify a value for the Name, Login, and DisplayName fields. These are mandatory fields.

5.3.2 Performing Provisioning Operations

You create a new user in Identity Self Service by using the Create User page. You provision or request for accounts on the Accounts tab of the User Details page.

To perform provisioning operations in Oracle Identity Governance:

  1. Log in to Identity Self Service.
  2. Create a user as follows:
    1. In Identity Self Service, click Manage. The Home tab displays the different Manage option. Click Users. The Manage Users page is displayed.
    2. From the Actions menu, select Create. Alternatively, you can click Create on the toolbar. The Create User page is displayed with input fields for user profile attributes.
    3. Enter details of the user in the Create User page.
  3. On the Account tab, click Request Accounts.
  4. In the Catalog page, search for and add to cart the application instance for the connector that you configured earlier, and then click Checkout.
  5. Specify value for fields in the application form and then click Ready to Submit.
  6. Click Submit.

See Also:

Creating a User in Oracle Fusion Middleware Performing Self Service Tasks with Oracle Identity Governance for details about the fields on the Create User page

5.4 Cloning the Connector

You can clone the Eloqua connector by setting new names for some of the objects that comprise the connector.

The outcome of the process is a new connector XML file. Most of the connector objects, such as Resource Object, Process Definition, Process Form, IT ResourceType Definition, IT Resource Instances, Lookup Definitions, Adapters, Reconciliation Rules and so on in the new connector XML file have new names.

See Also:

Managing Connector Lifecycle of Oracle Fusion Middleware Administering Oracle Identity Governance for detailed information about cloning connectors and the steps mentioned in this section.
After a copy of the connector is created by setting new names for connector objects, some objects might contain the details of the old connector objects. Therefore, you must modify the following Oracle Identity Manager objects to replace the base connector artifacts or attribute references with the corresponding cloned artifacts or attributes:
  • IT Resource: The cloned connector has its own set of IT resources. You must configure both the cloned IT resources, Eloqua and Connector Server, and provide the reference of the cloned Connector Server IT Resource in the cloned Eloqua IT resource. Ensure you use the configuration lookup definition of the cloned connector.
  • Scheduled Task: The values of the Resource Object Name and IT Resource scheduled taskattributes in the cloned connector refer to the values of the base connector.Therefore, these values (values of the Resource Object Name and IT resource scheduled task attributes that refer to the base connector) must be replaced withthe new cloned connector artifacts.
  • Lookup Definition: Verify the lookup entries in all lookup definitions to ensure that there are no references of old process forms. If there are any, then change it to the corresponding new form. For example, after cloning, the Lookup.Eloqua.UM.ProvAttrMap lookup definition contains a reference to a child table such as UD_ELOQUA`GroupName[LOOKUP]. You must change this to include the new value, for example, UD_ELOQUA2`GroupName[LOOKUP].
  • Process Tasks: After cloning, you notice that all event handlers attached to the process tasks are the cloned ones. Therefore, no changes are required for process tasks in parent forms. This is because the adapter mappings for all process tasks related to parent forms are updated with cloned artifacts.
  • Localization Properties: You must update the resource bundle of a user locale with new names of theprocess form attributes for proper translations after cloning the connector. You can modify the properties file of your locale in the resources directory of the connector bundle. For example, the process form attributes are referenced in the Japanes eproperties file, EloquaIdC_ja.properties, as global.udf.UD_ELOQUA_FULLNAME. During cloning, if you change the process form name from UD_ELOQUA to UD_ELOQUA1, then you must update the process form attributes to global.udf.UD_ELOQUA1_FULLNAME.

5.5 Defining the Connector

By using the Administrative and User Console, you can define a customized or reconfigured connector. Defining a connector is equivalent to registering the connector with Oracle Identity Manager.

A connector is automatically defined when you install it using the Install Connectors feature or when you upgrade it using the Upgrade Connectors feature. You must manually define a connector if:

  • You import the connector by using the Deployment Manager.
  • You customize or reconfigure the connector.
  • You upgrade Oracle Identity Manager.

The following events take place when you define a connector:

  • A record representing the connector is created in the Oracle Identity Manager database. If this record already exists, then it is updated.
  • The status of the newly defined connector is set to Active. In addition, the status of a previously installed release of the same connector automatically is set to Inactive.

See Defining Connectors in Oracle Fusion Middleware Administering Oracle Identity Manager for detailed information about the procedure to define connectors.

5.6 Uninstalling the Connector

Uninstalling the connector deletes all the account related data associated with resource objects of the connector. You use the Uninstall Connectors utility to uninstall a connector.

For detailed instructions on uninstalling the connector for any reason, see Uninstalling Connectors in Oracle Fusion Middleware Administering Oracle Identity Manager.