Defining a Custom Target System Instance

This chapter describes how to set up a new custom target system instance by customizing a generic built-in target system template.

About this Use Case

This use case allows you to create a new target system instance through customization of a generic built-in target system template. According to the properties and the API of the connected system you have to set up a target system instance together with the necessary connected directory and the provisioning workflows.

This method is applicable if you need only one instance of the new custom target system.

Documentation Hints

You can find additional information related to this use case in the following documents:

Tutorial

Getting Started → Setting Up a New Target System – describes the steps to set up a target system instance of a supported type.

User Interfaces Guide

Using DirX Identity Manager → Using Wizards → How the Target System Wizard Works – describes the functionality of the target system wizard.

Application Development Guide

Configuring Custom Scenarios – provides overall information about configuration of new scenarios for provisioning and connectivity configuration including the creation of new target system instances of a supported type.

Customization Guide

  • Customizing Wizards → Customizing the Provisioning Target System Wizard – contains general information about customization of target system wizard.

  • Customizing Target System – provides a detailed description of customization possibilities of the target system instances of an existing type. It is the most important part of the DirX Identity documentation for the use cases described in this guide.

Provisioning Administration Guide

Use the context sensitive help when customizing the created target system instance. Alternatively you can access these parts of the documentation directly through the online help.

Context-Sensitive Help → Target Systems View - general hints how to manage and set up specific features for the target system instances.

Specific Hints and Guidelines

Use a built-in generic type target system to create a single instance of a custom target system.

Regard the following issues when you configure it:

  • Try to model only the really necessary features of the specific target system.

  • Use standard features for DirX Identity target systems management and try to reuse existing settings as much as possible.

  • The generic target system type is built on two levels of object descriptions. The first level is defined by the object descriptors contained in the target system instance in
    cn=Object Descriptions,target system name,cn=TargetSystems,cn=domain.
    The object descriptors of the first level include and reference the object descriptors stored in the default target system configuration in
    cn=Object Descriptions,cn=Default,cn=TargetSystems,cn=Configuration,cn=domain.
    It is common for built-in target system types that the target system specific object descriptions are built on three levels hierarchy. It is also possible to create target system specific object descriptions that do not include any other files. We recommend using two levels of object descriptions as suggested by the generic target system type here.

Setup and Configuration

To set up a new instance of a custom target system perform these steps:

  • Create a target system instance of the generic type

  • Customize the newly created target system instance

Create a Target System Instance of the Generic Type

Login into the Provisioning configuration and then:

  • Select the Target Systems view.

  • Select the target system container or cluster under which you want to create the new instance.

  • Select New → Target System from the context menu to start the target system wizard.

  • In the Target System Selection step select the Generic type. You can check the option Account and groups in common subtree if desired.

  • Fill the next target system wizard step Target System General as desired.

  • Proceed to the step called Target System Advanced. Note that the generic target system type allows you to set and redefine the Type of the target system which is stored in the dxrType attribute. The value of the dxrType attribute is important when configuring the connectivity workflows. Typically the dxrType attribute value matches the value of the corresponding connected directory type. See existing templates and documentation for more details.

  • Go on to the Associated Connected Directory step. Since the target system template for generic type has no default connected directory associated, you can freely pick one of the existing connected directories that is suitable for your purposes. This step allows you to copy all related connectivity configuration objects. You can customize them later on.

  • Proceed with the next steps as described in the documentation until you reach the Provisioning Workflows step. Select all workflows that you want to copy to your instance. You can customize them later on.

  • Go to the end step and then Finish the wizard.

Your new target system instance is now created together with the related objects in the connectivity configuration (a connected directory and the selected provisioning workflows).

Customizing the Newly Created Target System Instance

In the previous step you created a fully independent target system instance that now needs to be customized. Study the customization guide carefully before you proceed with the following tasks.

Check and Set Up the Target System Tabs

Ensure that the target system tab layout shows the required attributes. If not, adapt the object description accordingly.

Check and Set Up the Target System Configuration

Typically a target system instance configuration contains the following information:

JavaScripts – a container for JavaScript implementations needed for this target system instance. Typically these JavaScripts are referenced from other object descriptions of this target system instance.

Object Descriptions – a container for object descriptions related to target system specific objects. Typically it contains files with the target system instance definition (TS.xml), the account definition (TSAccount.xml) and the group definition (Group.xml). It may also contain definitions of additional target system specific types of objects. This container must exist and contain at least the object descriptions for the target system instance (TS.xml) and for the group objects (Group.xml). The object descriptions for accounts are required only if the membership in the target system groups is stored at the accounts and not at user objects.

Obligations – contains obligation definitions if these shall exist. An obligation allows the execution of special actions triggered by group assignment or unassignment. For examples see the configuration of the ADS or UNIX-PAM target system type definitions.

Property Page Descriptions – may contain target system specific definition of property page descriptions written in Beans Markup Language (BML).
Note: this feature is deprecated and should only be used when adapting a legacy instance of a target system.

Proposal Lists – optional container for target system specific proposal lists.

Reports – may contain target system instance specific reports. Adapt it freely to your needs. Do not forget to create the corresponding access policies, otherwise your reports are not visible in Web Center.

Alternative or Extended Configurations

There are currently no extended or alternative configurations available for the described use case.