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Identity Manager 9.2.1 - Administration Guide for Connecting to Microsoft Exchange

Managing Microsoft Exchange environments Synchronizing a Microsoft Exchange environment
Setting up initial synchronization with Microsoft Exchange Customizing the synchronization configuration Running synchronization Tasks following synchronization Troubleshooting Ignoring data error in synchronization Pausing handling of target system specific processes (Offline mode)
Basic data for managing a Microsoft Exchange environment Microsoft Exchange structure Microsoft Exchange mailboxes Microsoft Exchange mail users and Microsoft Exchange mail contacts Microsoft Exchange mail-enabled distribution groups Microsoft Exchange dynamic distribution groups Microsoft Exchange mail-enabled public folders Extensions for supporting Exchange Hybrid environments Error handling Configuration parameters for managing a Microsoft Exchange environment Default project template for Microsoft Exchange Processing methods of Microsoft Exchange system objects Microsoft Exchange connector settings

Updating schemas

All the schema data (schema types and schema properties) of the target system schema and the One Identity Manager schema are available when you are editing a synchronization project. Only a part of this data is really needed for configuring synchronization. If a synchronization project is finished, the schema is compressed to remove unnecessary data from the synchronization project. This can speed up the loading of the synchronization project. Deleted schema data can be added to the synchronization configuration again at a later point.

If the target system schema or the One Identity Manager schema has changed, these changes must also be added to the synchronization configuration. Then the changes can be added to the schema property mapping.

To include schema data that have been deleted through compression and schema modifications in the synchronization project, update each schema in the synchronization project. This may be necessary if:

  • A schema was changed by:

    • Changes to a target system schema

    • Customizations to the One Identity Manager schema

    • A One Identity Manager update migration

  • A schema in the synchronization project was shrunk by:

    • Enabling the synchronization project

    • Saving the synchronization project for the first time

    • Compressing a schema

To update a system connection schema

  1. In the Synchronization Editor, open the synchronization project.

  2. Select the Configuration > Target system category.

    - OR -

    Select the Configuration > One Identity Manager connection category.

  3. Select the General view and click Update schema.

  4. Confirm the security prompt with Yes.

    This reloads the schema data.

To edit a mapping

  1. In the Synchronization Editor, open the synchronization project.

  2. Select the Mappings category.

  3. Select a mapping in the navigation view.

    Opens the Mapping Editor. For more information about mappings, see the One Identity Manager Target System Synchronization Reference Guide.

NOTE: The synchronization is deactivated if the schema of an activated synchronization project is updated. Reactivate the synchronization project to synchronize.

Speeding up synchronization with revision filtering

IMPORTANT: The revision algorithm can only be enabled in synchronization projects created with One Identity Manager version 8.0 or higher.

If revisioning was enabled in old 7.x synchronization projects, modifications made directly in Microsoft Exchange are also not identified. We recommend that you set up the synchronization project again using the synchronization project template implemented from version 8.0 onwards.

When you start synchronization, all synchronization objects are loaded. Some of these objects have not be modified since the last synchronization and, therefore, must not be processed. Synchronization is accelerated by only loading those object pairs that have changed since the last synchronization. One Identity Manager uses revision filtering to accelerate synchronization.

Microsoft Exchange supports revision filtering for the schema types Mailbox, MailUser, MailContact, MailPublicFolder, DistributionGroup and DynamicDistributionGroup.

You can configure the change time stamp for revision filtering using the following connection parameters in the synchronization project.

  • Use local server time for the revision: If the value is true, the local server time of the server is used for revision filtering. (default) This makes it unnecessary to load target system object for determining the revision. If the value is false, the change time stamp of the underlying Active Directory objects are used for revision filtering.

    Variable: CP_UseLocalServerTimeAsRevision

  • Max. time difference (local/remote) in minutes: Defines the maximum time difference in minutes between the synchronization server and the Microsoft Exchange server. The default value is 60 minutes. If the time difference is more than 60 minutes, alter the value.

    Variable: CP_LocalServerRevisionMaxDifferenceInMinutes

The time resulting from the local server time and the maximum time difference is saved as the revision number in the One Identity Manager database (DPRRevisionStore table, Value column). If the local server time is used, the revision number is calculated from the time at which the object was changed.

This value is used as a comparison for revision filtering when the same workflow is synchronized the next time. The next time synchronization is run, only those objects that have been changed since this date are loaded. This avoids unnecessary updating of objects that have not changed since the last synchronization.

The revision is found at start of synchronization. Objects modified by synchronization are loaded and checked by the next synchronization. This means that the second synchronization after initial synchronization is not significantly faster.

Revision filtering can be applied to workflows and start up configuration.

To permit revision filtering on a workflow

  • In the Synchronization Editor, open the synchronization project.

  • Edit the workflow properties. Select the Use revision filter item from Revision filtering menu.

To permit revision filtering for a start up configuration

  • In the Synchronization Editor, open the synchronization project.

  • Edit the start up configuration properties. Select the Use revision filter item from the Revision filtering menu.

For more information about revision filtering, adjusting connections parameters and editing variables, see the One Identity Manager Target System Synchronization Reference Guide.

Related topics

Configuring the provisioning of memberships

Memberships, such as user accounts in groups, are saved in assignment tables in the One Identity Manager database. During provisioning of modified memberships, changes made in the target system may be overwritten. This behavior can occur under the following conditions:

  • Memberships are saved as an object property in list form in the target system.

    Example: List of mailboxes in the AcceptMessagesOnlyFrom property of a Microsoft Exchange mailbox (Mailbox)

  • Memberships can be modified in either of the connected systems.

  • A provisioning workflow and provisioning processes are set up.

If one membership in One Identity Manager changes, by default, the complete list of members is transferred to the target system. Therefore, memberships that were previously added to the target system are removed in the process and previously deleted memberships are added again.

To prevent this, provisioning can be configured such that only the modified membership is provisioned in the target system. The corresponding behavior is configured separately for each assignment table.

To allow separate provisioning of memberships

  1. In the Manager, select the Active Directory > Basic configuration data > Target system types category.

  2. In the result list, select the Microsoft Exchange target system type.

  3. Select the Configure tables for publishing task.

  4. Select the assignment tables that you want to set up for single provisioning. Multi-select is possible.

  5. Click Merge mode.

    NOTE:

    • This option can only be enabled for assignment tables that have a base table with a XDateSubItem column.

    • Assignment tables that are grouped together in a virtual schema property in the mapping must be marked identically.

  6. Save the changes.

For each assignment table labeled like this, the changes made in One Identity Manager are saved in a separate table. Therefore, only newly added and deleted assignments are processed. During modification provisioning, the members list in the target system is compared to the entries in this table. This means that only modified memberships are provisioned and not the entire members list.

NOTE: The complete members list is updated by synchronization. During this process, objects with changes but incomplete provisioning are not handled. These objects are logged in the synchronization log.

You can restrict single provisioning of memberships with a condition. Once merge mode has been disabled for a table, the condition is deleted. Tables that have had the condition deleted or edited are marked with the following icon: . You can restore the original condition at any time.

To restore the original condition

  1. Select the auxiliary table for which you want to restore the condition.

  2. Right-click on the selected row and select the Restore original values context menu item.

  3. Save the changes.

NOTE: To create the reference to the added or deleted assignments in the condition, use the i table alias.

Example of a condition on the EX0MailUserAcceptRcpt assignment table:

exists (select top 1 1 from EX0MailUser u
where u.UID_EX0MailUser = i.UID_EX0MailUser
and <limiting condition>)

For more information about provisioning memberships, see the One Identity Manager Target System Synchronization Reference Guide.

Configuring single object synchronization

Changes made to individual objects in the target system can be immediately applied in the One Identity Manager database without having to start a full synchronization of the target system environment. Individual objects can only be synchronized if the object is already present in the One Identity Manager database. The changes are applied to the mapped object properties. If a membership list belongs to one of these properties, the entries in the assignment table will also be updated. If the object is no longer present in the target system, then it is deleted from the One Identity Manager database.

Prerequisites
  • A synchronization step exists that can import the changes to the changed object into One Identity Manager.

  • The path to the base object of the synchronization is defined for the table that contains the changed object.

Single object synchronization is fully configured for synchronization projects created using the default project template. If you want to incorporate custom tables into this type of synchronization project, you must configure single object synchronization for these tables. For more information about this, see the One Identity Manager Target System Synchronization Reference Guide.

To define the path to the base object for synchronization for a custom table

  1. In the Manager, select the Active Directory > Basic configuration data > Target system types category.

  2. In the result list, select the Microsoft Exchange target system type.

  3. Select the Assign synchronization tables task.

  4. In the Add assignments pane, assign the custom table for which you want to use single object synchronization.

  5. Save the changes.
  6. Select the Configure tables for publishing task.

  7. Select the custom table and enter the Root object path.

    Enter the path to the base object in the ObjectWalker notation of the VI.DB.

    Example: FK(UID_EX0Organization).XObjectKey

  8. Save the changes.
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