Metadirectory
Encyclopedia
A metadirectory system provides for the flow of data between one or more directory service
s and database
s, in order to maintain synchronization of that data, and is an important part of identity management
systems. The data being synchronized typically are collections of entries that contain user profiles and possibly authentication or policy information. Most metadirectory deployments synchronize data into at least one LDAP
-based directory server, to ensure that LDAP-based applications such as single sign-on
and portal servers have access to recent data, even if the data is mastered in a non-LDAP data source.
Metadirectory products support filtering and transformation of data in transit.
Most identity management
suites from commercial vendors include a metadirectory product, or a user provisioning product.
Directory service
A directory service is the software system that stores, organizes and provides access to information in a directory. In software engineering, a directory is a map between names and values. It allows the lookup of values given a name, similar to a dictionary...
s and database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
s, in order to maintain synchronization of that data, and is an important part of identity management
Identity management
Identity management is a broad administrative area that deals with identifying individuals in a system and controlling access to the resources in that system by placing restrictions on the established identities of the individuals.Identity management is multidisciplinary and covers many...
systems. The data being synchronized typically are collections of entries that contain user profiles and possibly authentication or policy information. Most metadirectory deployments synchronize data into at least one LDAP
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol is an application protocol for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over an Internet Protocol network...
-based directory server, to ensure that LDAP-based applications such as single sign-on
Single sign-on
Single sign-on is a property of access control of multiple related, but independent software systems. With this property a user logs in once and gains access to all systems without being prompted to log in again at each of them...
and portal servers have access to recent data, even if the data is mastered in a non-LDAP data source.
Metadirectory products support filtering and transformation of data in transit.
Most identity management
Identity management
Identity management is a broad administrative area that deals with identifying individuals in a system and controlling access to the resources in that system by placing restrictions on the established identities of the individuals.Identity management is multidisciplinary and covers many...
suites from commercial vendors include a metadirectory product, or a user provisioning product.
See also
- Virtual directoryVirtual directoryIn computing, a virtual directory or virtual directory server is a software layer that delivers a single access point for identity management applications and service platforms...
- Identity correlationIdentity correlationIn information systems, identity correlation is a process that reconciles and validates the proper ownership of disparate user account login IDs that reside on systems and applications throughout an organization and can permanently link ownership of those user account login IDs to particular...
- Microsoft Identity Integration ServerMicrosoft Identity Integration ServerMicrosoft Identity Integration Server is an identity management product offered by Microsoft. It is a service that aggregates identity-related information from multiple data-sources...
- Novell Identity ManagerNovell Identity ManagerNovell Identity Manager is Novell's implementation of Identity Management software. Previously known as DirXML the product utilizes XML-based configuration files to determine the product's implemented functions...