Example scenario

The example scenario synchronizes the following two systems:

1. A phonebook database application, holding names of employees and phone numbers.
2. The Active Directory service of Microsoft, holding all network user accounts and associated attributes. In different scenarios, other directory services can be used as well.

Although this examples only serves to demonstrate the principle of synchronization, the same synchronization concept applies to other information systems, such as an HR system.

The synchronization process is scheduled every night. It takes the data from both systems and propagates the differences found to the other system. In this example scenario, the phonebook database application is the leading system. Changes in this system propagate to the Active Directory service. In case of an HR-system, this system is leading in most circumstances.

The following update actions are implemented:

1. When a phone number is updated in the phonebook database application, the corresponding Active Directory attribute is updated;
2. When an account is deleted from the phonebook database application, the account must be deleted from Active Directory as well;
3. When a new account is found in the phonebook database application, a new user account must be created in Active Directory.

These update actions incorporate the main aspects of system synchronization processes: creation, deletion and update of items of the directory service system.

The phonebook application serves as a demo for implementing a synchronization solution.

Example scenario environment:

• The phonebook database application is a Jet-engine (MS-Access) database. This database engine is available on all Microsoft operating systems starting from Microsoft Windows 2000. The database is part of the Automation example files. When you have installed UMRA, the example files can be found in \Program Files\Tools4ever\User Management Resource Administrator\Example Projects\Automation\PhonebookConnector.
• All user accounts are maintained in a single organizational unit of Active Directory.

In a more realistic environment, the database system can be any other database (SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle) used by an HR-system and the structure and supported features of the directory service can be far more complex (e.g. including mailboxes, file system home directory, group memberships etc.).