Projects

CA Identity Manager Connector Guides › Connector Xpress Guide › Creating Connectors › Projects

Projects

Connector Xpress lets you create projects that specify how connectors are configured and deployed to the Provisioning Server.

A project represents a connector in Connector Xpress. A project includes:

The schema retrieved from a data source.
The configuration of metadata that describes how Connector Xpress maps the schema to the endpoint.

You can save, edit, and reopen projects for later use.

You can also create projects based on existing metadata, then modify the class mappings and operation bindings and then redeploy the connector back to the endpoint.

How you Create a Connector Xpress Project

You can create a project using the following methods:

Create a project specifying a JNDI or JDBC data source
This lets you create projects that specify how connectors are configured and deployed to the Provisioning Server.
Create a project without specifying a data source
This allows you to use Connector Xpress as a generic metadata editor and create new attributes.
Create a project based on a template
This lets you use templates as starting points for mapping common endpoint schemas.
Create a project based on a template using wizard mode
The wizard helps you start a new project based on a template, and steps you through the basic process of mapping an account and group class.

Templates

You can use a template as a starting point for mapping common endpoint schemas. For example, starting a project with a template is useful for LDAP, where standards such as RFCs define widely used schemas, and purely custom schemas are less common. Templates also include information that CA Identity Manager uses to render account management screens.

The following table highlights some of the more commonly used templates. For a full list of all templates, select Project, Create New from Template in Connector Xpress, then click on each template for a brief description.

Important! To help ensure correct performance, we recommend that you use the vendor-specific template supplied with Connector Xpress as a starting point when you create a mapping for a specific vendor.

Project Name Setting	Endpoint type	Description	Metadata File Name
JNDI NIS NetGroup	JNDI	For use with LDAP endpoints supporting NIS Netgroup Schema. This template demonstrates advanced association handling.	jndi_assoc_nisnetgroup_metadata
JNDI inetOrgPerson (Common)	JNDI	LDAP inetOrgPerson. This template should be used when no vendor-specific template is required.	jndi_inetorgperson_common_metadata
Lotus Notes Domino	JNDI	Lotus Notes Domino Server. This template allows easy mapping of eTLNDCustomAttribute* and eTLNDCustomCapabilityAttribute* attributes (the latter set are relevant for account template synchronization).	lnd_metadata
SDK DYN Compound	Any	Like SDKDYN but demonstrates use of Compound Values. This template uses compound values which allow complex data to be represented as a single string in JSON syntax, for instance '{"attr1": 42, "attr2": [ "a", "b" ], attr3: { "objName" : "jack" } }' represents a top level object with three attributes, the first is an integer (42), the next is an array of strings and the last a nested object.	sdkcompound_metadata
SDK DYN	Any	Software Development Kit demo connector. This template is a flat (i.e. non-hierarchical) case-sensitive connector that uses the recommended eTDYN* schema to save provisioning information to local files on the CA IAM Connector Server host computer. Because it is flat, its containers are Virtual Containers not actually stored on the endpoint.	sdkdyn_metadata
SDK DYN Script	Any	Like SDKDYN but implemented in Java Script. This template demonstrates how to implement an entire connector (all operation bindings) in JavaScript, as well as configuration information usually found in a connector.xml file, using the connectorXML metadata setting on the top-level namespace.	sdkscript_metadata
SDK DYN UPO Script	Any	Like SDK DYN Script but sends emails rather than writing to local files. This connector has similar functionality to the deprecated C++ UPO connector except that it sends emails rather than writing information to local files.	sdkuposcript_metadata

Template Locations

All template files are stored in the Connector Xpress install directory/conf/templates.

Connector Xpress searches this directory recursively to find all applicable templates.

Create a Project

To create a connector, you can create projects that specify how connectors are configured and deployed to the Provisioning Server.

Follow these steps:

Click Project, New.
The Select Data Source for new Project dialog appears.
If the data source you want to use is displayed in the list, then go to step 4.
If the data source you want to use is not displayed in the list, do the following:
1. Click Add.
  The Source Types dialog appears.
2. Select an available data source type from the list, then click OK.
  The Edit Source dialog appears, specific to the type of data source you are adding.
3. Complete the fields on the dialog to configure the data source type you selected, then click OK.
  The Select Data Source for new Project dialog appears and the data source you added appears in the list.
Select the data source you want to use from the list, then click OK.
The Enter Password for Data Source Dialog appears.
Enter the password for the selected data source, then click OK.
Connector Xpress does the following:
- Displays a Mapping Tree containing a top-level Endpoint Type node.
- Creates a class named User Account by default in the Mapping Tree.
- Displays the Endpoint Type Details dialog.
Create a mapping to create the appropriate endpoint data.
Click Project, Save, or Save As.
The Save Project As dialog appears.
Specify the folder to save the connector project in, the file name and the file type for the saved connector, and click Save.
Connector Xpress saves the project.

Note: We recommend that you use the default file extension (.con) and that you keep a copy of the project. You cannot view the stored procedure bindings after you deploy a connector, unless you open the Connector Xpress project file where your bindings are stored.

Create a Project Using a Template

You can start a new project using a template as a starting point for mapping common endpoint schemas.

Follow these steps:

On the Project menu, click Create New from Template.
The Select Template dialog appears.
Select the template you want to uses as a basis for your project.
The Select Data Source for a new project dialog appears.
Complete the details on the Select Data Source for a new project dialog, then click OK.
The Endpoint Type Details dialog appears.
Complete your attribute mappings as required.
Save the project.

Wizard Mode

You can also start a project by opening a template in wizard mode. When you start a project using the wizard, the wizard steps you through the basic process of mapping an account class, or an account class and group class, depending on the template you selected. You can use the wizard to start a project, and then use the other dialogs to complete your mappings.

The wizard prompts you to complete the following mapping details:

The endpoint type name and description.
The native classes for the account mapping.
The mappings for account attributes.
For templates projects that contain a group class, the wizard prompts you to complete the following mappings:
1. The native classes for the group mappings.
2. The mappings for group attributes.
3. The association between the account class and the group class.

Create a Project Using the Wizard

You can use the wizard to complete the basic details of a mapping, such as mappings for account and group attributes. You can use the wizard to start a project, and then use the other dialogs to complete your mappings.

Follow these steps:

On the Project menu, click Create New from Template.
The Select template dialog appears.
Select the template you want to uses as a basis for your project.
Click Open in Wizard Mode.
The Select Data Source for a new project dialog appears.
Complete the details on the Select Data Source for a new project dialog, then click OK.
The Endpoint Type Details dialog appears.
Follow the prompts in the wizard and complete your mappings as required.
Note: While the wizard is active, the mapping tree is read-only. As you step through the wizard, the relevant node in the mapping tree is expanded and highlighted.
Review the mapping summary, then click Finish.
Complete your attribute mappings as required.

Projects Based on Existing Metadata

You can create a project based on the contents of eTMetadata and eToperation binding set for both dynamic and static connectors. Creating a project based on existing metadata allows you to:

Review or modify the class mappings and operation bindings for a connector type in Connector Xpress.
Deploy the changes back to the endpoint.

Creating a project based on existing metadata is useful when:

The original project file that was used for creating the connector is no longer available.
A project file for the connector does not exist, for example, for static connector types.
A project file that reflects the latest changes for the connector type is required.

Create a Project Based on Existing Metadata

To review or modify the class mappings and operation bindings for a static or dynamic connector where the original project for the connector does not exist, you can create a project based on existing metadata.

Follow these steps:

In the Provisioning Servers tree, right click the endpoint that you want to base a project on, then click Create Project.
The progress dialog appears. If you selected a dynamic connector, Connector Xpress displays the Select Data Source for New project dialog.
If prompted, select a data source for your project, then click OK.
Connector Xpress creates the project and populates the mapping tree with the metadata.
Map the native attributes in the Account Class to the relevant provisioning attributes.
Save the Connector Xpress project.
Redeploy the metadata if necessary.

Open an Existing Project

To open an existing project, click Project, Open, and double-click the file you want to open from the Open Project dialog.

Connector Xpress opens the project and displays the mappings in your project in the Mapping Tree of the Connector Xpress window.

Reopen a Recent Project

To reopen a recent project, click Project, Open Recent, and select the project you want to open.

Connector Xpress opens the project and displays the mappings in your project in the Mapping Tree of the Connector Xpress window.

More Information:

Projects

Edit a Project

To change the details of a project, you can open a saved project and edit the metadata as required.

Follow these steps:

Open an existing project.
The Select Data Source for new project dialog appears.
Complete the details on the dialog, then click OK.
Connector Xpress opens the project, and displays the metadata in the mapping tree of the Connector Xpress window.

The Enter Password for Data Source dialog appears.
Complete the fields on the dialog, then click OK.
Edit the metadata as required.
Save the connector.
Deploy the connector if necessary.

More Information:

Enter Password for Data Source Dialog

Projects

Save a Project

After you have created a new dynamic connector, you can save the connector project for future deployment.

Follow these steps:

Click Project, Save, or Save As.
The Save Project As dialog appears.
Specify the folder to save the connector project in, the file name and the file type for the saved connector, and click Save.
Connector Xpress saves the project.

Note: We recommend that you use the default file extension (.con) and that you keep a copy of the project. You cannot view the stored procedure bindings after you deploy a connector, unless you open the Connector Xpress project file where your bindings are stored.

More Information:

Projects