Implementation Recommendations

The following is a list of general recommendations to keep in mind while implementing connectors:

Do not reference LDAP objectclass or attribute names in your code.
Drive connector logic using metadata settings where possible, adding custom metadata properties if necessary.
Use validator / converter plug-ins where possible, rather than repetitive code in your connector itself. Remember they can easily be registered against custom metadata properties through your connector’s connector.xml file.
Stream search results where large numbers of results are possible.
Pay careful attention to result codes and error messages (which must be prefixed with ldapExceptionPrefix) for LdapNamingExceptions thrown by your connector.
The Provisioning Server now supports the eTAgentOnly operational attribute, which when included in the requested return attribute ids for a search, stipulates it is directly routed to a connector. This means the Provisioning Manager GUI plug-in for hierarchical endpoint types can easily distinguish between all containers that exist on the endpoint system and possibly the smaller set that the customer has chosen to manage. This removes the need for work-arounds, such as the use of containerList attributes on container listing their immediate children. This attribute is also supported when the Provisioning Server is accessed through the JIAM (refer to the com.ca.iam.eta.restrictTo property which can be set to the values “agent” and “db”) and SPML APIs.