Customizing the console
The Active Roles console provides a convenient way to customize object creation wizards and property pages found in the console, and to customize display names for object types and object properties. Customization is performed through the use of Active Directory objects called display specifiers.
Each display specifier object holds information describing the various user interface elements for a particular object type. These elements include (but not limited to) creation wizard pages, property pages, and names to use for object types and properties in user interfaces.
The following sections summarize the customization-related features that are based on the use of display specifiers:
- Other Properties page in the object creation wizard
- Other Properties tab in the Properties dialog box
- Customizing display names
“Other Properties” page in object creation wizard
In the Active Roles console, directory objects are created using creation wizards. Thus, creating a user account starts the New Object - User wizard. The Active Roles console makes it possible to extend creation wizards with an extra page allowing additional properties to be populated in the course of the object creation process.
The Active Roles console makes it easy to view or modify the set of properties on the wizard extension page by using a separate tab in the Properties dialog box for display specifier objects. The Other Properties to Display tab provides a way to customize the set of properties included on the extension page of object creation wizards. If there are no properties to include on the extension page, the page is not displayed.
The Other Properties to Display tab can be used to add or remove properties from the extension page of the creation wizard for the object type that the display specifier is associated with. The tab lists the object properties included on the extension page, and allows you to make changes to that list.
You can use the following instructions to add the Other Properties page to the New Object - User wizard. Similarly, you can extend the creation wizard for a different object type by creating and configuring a custom display specifier for that object type. For example, to extend the wizard for Group, Computer, or Organizational Unit, create and configure a custom display specifier named group-Display, computer-Display, or organizationalUnit-Display, respectively.
Note that the names of display specifiers are case-sensitive, so you must type the name exactly as specified in the Active Directory schema. To view the names of display specifiers, you can use the console to examine the “Active Directory | Configuration Container | Display Specifiers | 409” container in Raw view mode.
To extend the New Object - User wizard
- Open the Active Roles console and switch into Raw view mode (select View | Mode, then click Raw Mode and click OK).
- In the console tree, expand Configuration | Application Configuration, and select the Active Roles Display Specifiers (Custom) container.
- Use the All Tasks | Advanced Create command to create the appropriate locale container.
The custom display specifier must be created in the locale container matching the locale of your environment. These locale containers are named using the hex representation of that locale’s LCID. Thus the US/English locale’s container is named 409, the German locale’s container is named 407, the Japanese locale’s container is named 411, and so forth.
You may need to first create the appropriate locale container. You can do this by using the All Tasks | Advanced Create command to create an object of the class EDS-Display-Specifier-Container.
- In the locale container, create the custom display specifier named user-Display.
You can do this by using the All Tasks | Advanced Create command on the locale container to create an object of the class Display-Specifier. Note that the name of the display specifier is case-sensitive, so you should type the name for the new display specifier exactly user-Display, not user-display or User-display.
- In the details pane, right-click user-Display and click Properties.
- Go to the Other Properties to Display tab.
- Add one or more properties to the Other properties in the object creation wizard list. Then, click OK.
- Restart the Administration Service and then reconnect the Console to the Service, for your changes to take effect.
As a result of these steps, the New Object - User wizard includes an extra page where you can specify values for the properties you selected in Step 7. You can start the wizard in the Active Roles console by right-clicking an organizational unit in the console tree, and then selecting New | User. Follow the wizard steps to reach the page containing the list of “other” properties.
“Other Properties” tab in the Properties dialog box
The Active Roles console also makes it possible to extend the Properties dialog box for directory objects with an extra tab named Other Properties, allowing the management of a custom set of object properties through the use of the Properties command.
The Active Roles console makes it easy to view or modify the set of properties on the Other Properties tab by using a separate tab in the Properties dialog box for display specifier objects. In this way, you can customize the set of properties included on the Other Properties tab. Note that the Properties dialog box only includes the Other Properties tab if there are any properties to display on that tab.
The Other Properties to Display tab can be used to add or remove properties from the Other Properties tab, only affecting the object type that the display specifier is associated with. The Other Properties to Display tab lists the object properties included on the Other Properties tab for that object type, and allows you to make changes to the list.
You can use the following instructions to add the Other Properties tab to the Properties dialog box for user objects. Similarly, you can extend the property pages for a different object type by creating and configuring a custom display specifier for that object type. For example, to extend the Properties dialog box for Group, Computer, or Organizational Unit, create and configure a custom display specifier named group-Display, computer-Display, or organizationalUnit-Display, respectively.
Note that the names of display specifiers are case-sensitive, so you must type the name exactly as specified in the Active Directory schema. To view the names of display specifiers, you can use the console to examine the “Active Directory | Configuration Container | Display Specifiers | 409” container in the Raw view mode.
To extend the Properties dialog box for User objects
- Open the Active Roles console and switch into Raw view mode (select View | Mode, then click Raw Mode and click OK).
- In the console tree, expand Configuration | Application Configuration, and select the Active Roles Display Specifiers (Custom) container.
- Use the All Tasks | Advanced Create command to create the appropriate locale container.
The custom display specifier must be created in the locale container matching the locale of your environment. These locale containers are named using the hex representation of that locale’s LCID. Thus the US/English locale’s container is named 409, the German locale’s container is named 407, the Japanese locale’s container is named 411, and so forth.
You may need to first create the appropriate locale container. You can do this by using the All Tasks | Advanced Create command to create an object of the class EDS-Display-Specifier-Container.
- In the locale container, create the custom display specifier named user-Display.
You can do this by using the All Tasks | Advanced Create command on the locale container to create an object of the class Display-Specifier. Note that the name of the display specifier is case-sensitive, so you should type the name for the new display specifier exactly user-Display, not user-display or User-display.
- In the details pane, right-click user-Display and click Properties.
- Go to the Other Properties to Display tab.
- Add one or more properties to the Other properties on the object property pages list. Then, click OK.
- Restart the Administration Service and then reconnect the Console to the Service, for your changes to take effect.
As a result of these steps, the Properties dialog box includes the Other Properties tab where you can view or modify values of the properties you selected in Step 7. You can access that tab in the Active Roles console by right-clicking a user account and then clicking Properties.
Customizing object display names
In Active Directory, each object type may have a display name, and each property of objects may have a display name. In user interfaces, display names are used as friendly names to identify object types and properties. The display names specific to a given object type are stored in the display specifier objects for that object type.
The Active Roles console makes it easy to view or modify display names by using a separate tab in the Properties dialog box for display specifier objects. The Display Names tab provides a convenient way to customize display names for object types and properties.
The Display Names tab can be used to specify or change the display name for the object type that the display specifier is associated with, and to add, modify or remove display names for properties of objects of that type. The property display names are managed using a list of name pairs, with the first name being the LDAP display name of a property and the display name of that property following the LDAP display name.
To customize the English-language display name for the User object class within a forest
- Open the Active Roles console and switch into Raw view mode (select View | Mode, then click Raw Mode and click OK).
- In the console tree, expand Active Directory | Configuration Container | Display Specifiers, and select the 409 container.
- In the details pane, right-click user-Display and click Properties.
- On the Display Names tab, in Display name for object type, modify the display name as appropriate, and then click OK.
- Restart the Administration Service and then reconnect the Console to the Service, for your changes to take effect.
By using these steps, you make changes to the display specifier held in Active Directory, so your changes affect not only Active Roles but also any client application intended to manage user objects in Active Directory, such as Active Directory Users and Computers. If you only want the display names to be customized within the Active Roles client interfaces, make changes to the custom display specifiers held in the Active Roles Display Specifiers (Custom) container. The Properties dialog box for custom display specifiers also includes the Display Names tab, allowing you to customize display names so that your changes only affect the Active Roles environment.