Policy Server Guides › Policy Server Configuration Guide › User Directories › User Attribute Mapping › Define an Attribute Mapping › Alias › Alias Attribute Use Case

Alias Attribute Use Case

This use case represents a basic scenario in which two LDAP user directories identify the last name of users with different underlying schema.

Note: Advanced use cases are shown in the Apply Attribute Mapping section. The advanced use cases detail how you use different attribute mapping types to identify the same user attribute across different directory types.

The following illustration details how two alias attribute mappings can define a universal schema and create a common view of the same user information.

1. Two user directories identify the last name of users differently:
   • Directory A identifies the last name of users with sn.
   • Directory B identifies the last name of users with lastname.

   This results in two different representations and views of the same user information.

2. LastName is the common name or alias that is mapped to the underlying directory schema:
   • LastName is mapped to sn in Directory A.
   • LastName is mapped to lastname in Directory B.
3. LastName results in a common view of the same user information. You can reference LastName when defining policies, expressions, or other objects that require the last name of users, without concern for the directory-specific schema, because the directories are operationally identical. SiteMinder determines that LastName is sn in Directory A and lastname in Directory B.