Synchronization Task

Synchronization Service runs Synchronization tasks.

Overview

The term "synchronization" is a general-purpose word that designates one of the following tasks:

Re-Ordering Data to Import

Objectives

Since the IDM uses "internal identifiers" to store references between objects, data to import must be re-ordered to respect dependencies between entries. Dependencies must thus be created first in the IDM, so that their internal ID becomes available for internal referencing during the mapping step.

This means that the dependencies appearing in an import source must be declared/configured in Synchronization service, so that Synchronization service can know how to re-order them before they are submitted to the mapping step.

Re-Ordering Configuration

Input data re-ordering is configured in 2 places :

• in the ConnectorDefinition properties, to declare the list of "attributes" (typically CSV column names) constituting references, e.g. "manager" and/or "hr_supervisor". See referencingAttribute connector property in CSVConnectorProperties

• in the SynchronizationTaskDefinition configuration, via the boolean property sortInputData, so that re-ordering can be performed on a per task basis

By default no re-ordering is performed.

Re-Ordering Error Handling

2 kinds of errors may occur when sorting the data to import:

• several entries have the same identifier

• cyclic dependencies are detected

Resolving References Between IDM Objects

Objectives

After the data to import have been re-ordered, they are mapped to objects during the mapping step (see Reconciliation Overview). Remember that objects reference one another using internal identifiers. Such internal identifiers are not provided in the import input data (unless there is a direct mapping between the HR id and the IM id, this may happen, and in that case this whole section may be skipped). Identifiers of referenced objects must thus be retrieved.

The referenced entry may not be present in the input data, for example when a user references an organization, or if a user references a manager who was created outside Synchronization service’s jurisdiction (unlikely though).

References between objects must thus be declared in Synchronization service’s attribute mapping configuration.

See inbound Attributes Mapping Definitions and outbound Attributes Mapping Definitions in Object Schema Mapping Definition.

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